Escape From Darkness
by Artemis173
Summary: A human girl washes up on a beach, and claims to be an agent sent from the future to save the world. Lost and alone, she is forced to trust the meek Torchic that finds her despite the danger she's putting both of them in. Mystery Dungeons: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky as told if you hadn't been turned into a Pokémon.
1. The First Step

**A/N: Hello! This is a Pokemon Mystery Dungeons fic! I loved explorers of Time and Sky SO MUCH, but this idea had always been at the back of my mind when playing these games. What would happen if you hadn't been turned into a Pokemon and lost your memory? And thus, this story was born!**

**Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Gamefreak. The only thing I own is my own character, she's made up.**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 1: The First Step

Darkness. That was what this world was made up of. Complete and total darkness. No one knew how long the world had been like this. Time didn't have any meaning in this world. All that happened anymore was perpetual stillness. But hopefully, it wouldn't be like this for much longer.

I reminisced as I continued walking over the dark grey terrain that was dubbed the name Dusk Forest. I observed my surroundings as carefully as I could while I pressed on, as I'd been trained to do. I could only imagine what this place used to look like when time was flowing. The movement and sound that must have filled this place. Now as I looked at the blackened tree's meeting a continuously grey sky, the only thing I could think to compare the landscape to was a Polaroid picture. Still, like a film and flash capturing the moment forever, and colorless, like the hue was literally leached out of the world.

I pulled my navy blue jacket tighter around my shoulders, like it would protect me from the darkness. The white tank top, blue skinny jeans, and white hat was my favorite outfit. It gave me comfort wearing it, even if it couldn't really protect me against much of anything. Even as my black boots trudged on through the dirt and foliage, it made no sound. Like someone had hit mute on the whole world. Even the steps I took were silent, the earth not even registering the impact my foot made against the ground as I moved farther into the forest.

"Hey," a voice sounded beside me, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Be on guard, we aren't out of the woods yet," his voice warned me. All I did was offer a small smile.

"I'm always on guard Grovyle, you know that." I spoke kindly to the green Pokémon beside me.

"I do know that June, you just seem distracted," he responded, his voice laced with worry.

"I'm just taking in my surroundings. If all goes as planned, we won't be able to see this place ever again," I tried to reassure him as I stretched out my arms, gesturing to the dark forest surrounding us.

"I don't understand why you'd even **want** to remember this place at all," Grovyle spoke bitterly. I didn't take his tone personally; this world had hardened him, after living in it for so long.

"I agree it's not much to look at, but it's also where I was born and grew up. And it's also the place where I met you," I retorted, trying to make him understand. Grovyle blushed at my words, embarrassed by how much I truly valued him.

"I see," he said. We walked in silence for a while after that, just enjoying each other's company. When your mission was as serious as ours was, you learned to savor every moment.

"June," he started, regaining my attention. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?" he asked me, the concern back in his voice. "If you're not sure this is what you want, I'll understand if you stay behind. I can complete the mission on my own."

Even after all this time, he was still worrying about me. His constant concern made me think back to how different we'd been when we were first assigned to be partners together. He'd only been but a little Treeko, with big dreams of saving the world. He was also completely convinced that being paired with a human who couldn't fight would do nothing but hold him back. We had been together a long time, probably years if time was still moving. And since then, we'd become the best of friends, and now we trusted each other completely.

But that didn't stop Grovyle from being overprotective. Ever since he evolved he treated me like I was made of glass. Since I was "_still human"_, he felt the need to balance the whole world on his shoulders just so I wouldn't have to lift a finger. It was sweet, but rather unnecessary. I may be human, but I could take care of myself.

"There's nothing left for me here Grovyle. And besides that, you need me to go. We may know where all the time gears are located, but we still don't know the location of the Hidden Land. My powers will assist us in that discovery."

Grovyle looked away, not liking my logical answer, but he knew I was right. He nodded and continued to the peak of the hill. We arrived at the clearing where our journey would begin. We stood perfectly still, looking for the slightest bit of movement in the trees, watching for spies. After a moment, we determined the area to be clear, and Grovyle called out.

"Celebi. We are here." Grovyle spoke calmly, yet loud. Loud enough to hear no matter where you were in the clearing. A few moments later, a light appeared in front of us. It was a small orb of light that quickly changed shape into the size of a small, pink, fairy like creature.

I was always happy to see Celebi, but every time she appeared before us, I found myself a little sad when the light from her body faded. Born into a world of darkness, I had never known what light looked like until I had met the Time-Travel Pokémon. Every time I saw that light, I imagined that that was what the sun had used to look like, before it set for the last time. It was a silly thing to feel, but I couldn't help the little spike of disappointment that pricked my heart when her light faded back to darkness.

"Why hello my dear Grovyle! You're right on time." She spoke in her high, bell-like voice, obviously glad to see the fellow grass type.

"It is good to see you as well," Grovyle replied. They had always had a good relationship, and I knew it was going to pain Grovyle to leave her behind.

"And a warm hello to you too, June!" Celebi chimed, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Hello Celebi," I said as she flew into my arms and I embraced her. I would miss her dearly when our mission was complete, but this was what we all wanted. I didn't want to think about what would happen though, our journey was only just beginning, and we had a long way to go.

"Is the Passage ready?" I asked my small, pink friend.

"But of course! It's just up on the mountain top behind this forest. If your both all ready, we can head there now!" she said happily, flying out ahead of us, ready to go.

"I wonder why she placed it so far away." Grovyle whispered, careful not to let Celebi hear him. But I knew the reason as I gazed sadly on Celebi.

She wanted to spend a little more time with us. All three of us knew that whether we failed or succeeded, the chances were that we'd never see each other again. And in a world as dark and hopeless as this, good friends were nearly impossible to find, and even harder to keep. I sympathized with Celebi in this aspect. We had all lost loved ones, living in this sad, barren world, and it was hard knowing that we'd all be losing more.

Grovyle and I followed Celebi through what was left of the forest, and into the rocky terrain of the mountains. Despite the change in environment, it looked very much the same. The rocks were all a dead shade of grey, boulders were suspended in mid-air, where they had been falling when time collapsed and then froze when it had stopped completely.

There weren't many Pokémon out today; a good thing as battling would only slow down our arrival to the Passage of Time. The Pokémon of this world may have become angry and violent in this darkness, but they didn't really attack unless you tress-passed on their territory. We fell into comfortable silence again, simply keeping our thoughts to ourselves. What we were about to do weighed heavily on all of us. We knew it was the right thing, but we also knew what the consequences were if we failed, and if we succeeded. All we could do was hope that whatever world replaced this one when we changed history would be a better one.

We arrived at the passage of time. It was shaped like an arch, made of ethereal, blue light. Celebi flew up to the arch and produced a small, star-shaped light which she placed in the center of the arch. That star acted as a key, and the light expanded until it filled the entire space with swirling blue light.

"It is ready," Celebi said quietly. Grovyle moved forward, and I moved with him until we stood directly in front of the arch. We turned back to Celebi at the same time.

"Be careful," I said to her.

"But of course. Don't you worry about me June, remember that I can't be caught!" she said as she winked. I smiled at her optimism, a trait of hers I never knew how she managed to preserve in this depressing world.

"Goodbye Celebi," Grovyle spoke, struggling to look her in the eye.

"Goodbye, my dear Grovyle," she replied, holding back tears as she did so. "Good luck, to the both of you."

I took in the world one last time. An endless grey sky, with jagged, frozen stone. _What would this place look like once time was moving again?_ I wondered. _What would this world be like once it was alive again?_ Questions I would never know the answers to.

"Ready?" Grovyle asked.

I looked at him and gave him a genuine smile. I stretched out my hand towards him, which he took immediately.

"Always." I replied.

And with that, we stepped into the Passage of time. The first step to saving the world.

**A/N: Thank you for reading!**


	2. Separation

**A/N: Okay, last update of the week. I'm thinking about updating every Monday and Thursday. Seems fair right? Okay, enjoy!**

Chapter 2: Separation

Being inside the Passage of Time was so strange. One minute, I was standing on solid ground, walking forward with Grovyle's hand in mine, and the next minute, the ground faded away, and we were seemingly falling into an array of light. I screamed at first, the sensation of falling taking over my senses. But Grovyle's hand still had a firm grip on mine, and it acted as the only think grounding me in this twisting vortex of chaos.

"Stay calm June! It won't last much longer!"

Grovyle's voice was the clearest sound in the portal we were falling through. I couldn't help but look around. It was breathtaking. It was like a tunnel made out of the light from Celebi's body. But then maybe, it was the other way around. This light was coming from everywhere, from the fabric of history itself. Maybe this is where Celebi got her powers from. But it wasn't just white light, it was all different shades. Growing up in a world that had been paralyzed, I had only ever known the shades of grey that made up the world, but there were no such shades in this place. The hues were so bright and vibrant, they practically burst with life. Then I realized that these were colours. Every colour that had ever existed reflected across time itself. It was beautiful, and if filled me with hope. Hope that I could bring these colours, this life, back to my world. The world I was trying to change. Our falling had slowed at this point, slowly carrying us down further and further into the past. Our fall back threw time was coming to a close, I could feel it. We were almost there, the perfect moment in the past to start our mission.

Then suddenly, I heard something. The sights and sounds might have seemed almost deafening, but it was actually my awe at all of it that made it appear loud. But that noise, that snapped me out of my admiring, it wasn't a sound that had come from the vortex. It was a darker, much more sinister sounding noise.

It was…..laughter. The kind of laughter one has when you're enjoying others misfortune. And it was coming from right behind us.

My head snapped up, but I wasn't fast enough to see the being that had made the laughter. But I was fast enough to register the shadow ball coming directly at us! I didn't have time to think, or scream or warn Grovyle in any way. I only had time to act. With the seconds I had until the attack hit, I did one of the only things I could think of.

I pulled.

With Grovyle's hand in mine, I pulled hard on his arm with all my strength, pulling him out of the way of the shadow ball by just inches. But then I realized the result of my actions. The force I had pulled Grovyle's arm with to send him sailing in the opposite direction of the attack caused his grip on my hand to slip. Before I could re-adjust my grasp, his hand slipped from mine. And then there was the missed shadow ball attack. After missing the intended target, it kept on traveling on a straight course to one of the edges of the time travel vortex. And once it collided with the wall, it shattered.

It all happened to fast. Grovyle was struggling to get back towards me, but it was too late. The time travel path started to unravel around us, too damaged by the attack to keep its form. Grovyle was drifting farther and farther away, trying to hang on to the time path before the portal spit him out.

"Grovyle, hang on!" I screamed over the carnage.

Desperately trying to get to my best friend. We'd come so far and planned for so long. Was this it? Was our mission over before it even began? I screamed over the shattering sounds of history collapsing around us. I told Grovyle to hang on, that it would be okay, not knowing if he could even hear me. But it was no use, he was drifting farther and farther away, and I was being pulled in the opposite direction. I couldn't hang on, the portal was coming undone. Hopelessly, I yelled out one last time.

"GROVYLE!"

And then I fell.

I didn't know what to expect when the portal fully collapsed. I guess, at the time, I had only hoped that I would end up somewhere still, quiet, and safe, after what I had been through.

That isn't what happened.

Once I fell out of the portals end, the light disappeared completely and I hit something. And soon it was everywhere, all around me, filling up space like I had never dreamed anything could. It wasn't quiet, but it wasn't really loud either. It was muffled, like someone had stuffed my ears with cotton. And there was so much motion, I felt like I was being pulled apart. I was pushed one way, and then pulled another. Twisting and turning, completely out of control.

Where was I? I tried to open my eyes, but they stung. All I saw was darkness. It was so dark I almost thought I could be back in the world of the future, enclosed in unending darkness. But it couldn't be the world of the planet's paralysis. There was too much movement, not like the frozen plain of the ruined world I knew at all. The space around me moved fast, but it also felt heavy. Heavier than air, it was a liquid.

_Was this water_? I thought, disoriented. I had drunk water in the future, but never had I been submerged in it. Was that where I was? Was I underwater? Well that explained why there was so much of it. But only when I realized where I was did I notice the burning pain in my chest._ Breathe,_ I thought, _I needed to breathe._

I was going to drown if I didn't get out of this water, but I didn't really know how to swim. I'd never needed to learn in the future. Suddenly, the moving water pushed up from underneath me, and I broke the surface. I gasped in the air greedily, as I tried to look around. The water was moving in all directions, conforming to shapes as high as mountains and as low as valleys. I had never seen nor felt such movement before. It was both staggering and terrifying all at the same time. The moving water pulled me under again as the mountain-like waves threatened to crash down on my head.

This force was called a current, I recalled, as I searched for an explanation as to what was happening to me. It was incredibly strong, and it had a death grip on my body as it continued to throw me in all directions. I had to try and swim. Grovyle taught me some, but we'd been so focused on finding the locations of the time gears, I hadn't practiced much. I had to move my feet, back and forth, in a pattern, and my arms had to move through the water in a circular motion. It was hard to battle the current, but I managed to sort of swim to the top of the water again. I gasped again as my head broke the surface. The sky, I noticed was showering me with drops of water.

_Rain?_ I thought to myself. It was raining, another new experience for me, as the clouds never moved in the future, therefore it never rained nor snowed. But this rain was not pleasant. It was not a replenishing rain, like I'd learned about in books. It was a violent rain, hitting hard against my skull, and coming down in sheets. The waves of water pushed me under again, where I struggled to fight against the current once more. Then, on top of the water, I saw flashes of light.

_Grovyle?_ I thought hopefully. Did the portal spit him out in the same place? Was it just some sort of delayed reaction because of the attack? I swam with purpose towards the surface.

"Grovyle!" I called out, looking around in all directions. "Grovyle!?"

I called over and over, trying to get him to respond. But I was starting to panic. I was barely surviving out here, if Grovyle was out in this same storm, he'd die for sure. Arseus, where was he? Was he okay? Was he out in this storm, or was he somewhere else? Then, my ears started to pound with a sensation I'd never felt before. I looked up to the sky, to where the lights had shone through the sea. And there they were again. Streaks of light cut through the black clouds like a blade, and filled my heart with fear and hope. And then the sensation, the _sound _I had heard before sounded again. A cracking sound, followed by a loud boom!

Lightning, I thought. Thunder and lightning. A storm.

The current tried to pull me under again, but I fought it. I fought it with all the strength I had left in my body, as I continued to stare up at the sky. The lightning split the darkness, as the thunder filled the world. I was continually blinded by the falling rain and the salt of the ocean spray, but I fought against all of it. I didn't know if Grovyle was out here in this storm like I was, or if he was safe somewhere far away. But no matter if we were separated, we both still had our mission. Collect the time gears, go to the hidden land, change history, save the world. I wasn't picked for this mission for nothing, and I couldn't give up now.

I fought to stay above the surface, until slowly, everything became still. The waves quieted, the rain became soft, and the current was no longer fighting me, but guiding me. Rocking me back and forth like a mother would a child. I lay on my back, letting my tired body be rocked by the soft ocean waves. The rain no longer hurt, and the thunder no longer scared me. My energy was gone, and all I wanted to do was rest. I closed my eyes as the lightning continued to flash behind my eyelids.

_I couldn't die here_, I thought to myself. _I couldn't die. Not here. Not yet_. The words echoed in my head as I slipped into unconsciousness.

_Not yet._


	3. Lost and Found

**A/N: I really think I have a problem. I'm addicted to writing. I'm just having so much fun!**

Chapter 3: Lost and Found

**June**

I was warm. But how could that be? It was never warm in my world, it was always cold. How was this possible then? Was I asleep? It sort of felt like it. I did feel awfully tired, but not in an exhausted kind of way. I almost felt, at peace. What happened to me? I can't really remember. Was I dead? Did I finally die because of what Grovyle and I were trying to do? Well, if this was what death felt like, it really wasn't so bad. It was nice even. I'm sorry I'll never see Grovyle again, or Celebi. But maybe I'll meet them again someday. Can't…c-can't think anymore….drifting off…

**Torchic**

"C'mon Torchic, c'mon torchic, you can do this, you can do this," I repeated, over and over, pacing back and forth as I did so. I stood in front of a big, Wigglytuff shaped tent, trying to work up the courage to go in.

"I promised myself that I would do this! I made up my mind that I would become an explorer and I'm going to do it!" I yelled at myself, a little ashamed that my knees were shaking.

"Okay," I steeled myself, stepping on the grate in front of the gate.

"Pokémon detected, Pokémon detected!"

'AAAAHHH!" I said as I jumped off of the grate. My heart was beating a mile a minute. Man, if I couldn't even work up the courage to make it through the front door, then I really was a chicken (no pun intended). I slipped off the leather cord from around my neck, and looked down at the small stone fragment on the end of it.

"I thought I could get up the courage to go in today if I had my special treasure with me, but…" my voice faded off, filled with shame. I picked up the cord and pulled it on over my head as I walked away from the guild. I trudged down the stairs, and continued down the slope to the beach. Once there, I looked out across the ocean.

"WOW, what a view!" I spoke out loud as I watched the Crabby's blow their bubbles out over the sea. The rays from the setting sun painted the sky with all different colours, which reflected back into the bubbles. It was a truly beautiful sight.

"Coming here always cheers me up when I'm down," I said to myself again. I walked down the beach trying to see if I could get a better view, when suddenly my talon caught something.

"Aahh!" I yelled as I face planted into the sand. I picked my head up and looked back at what I had tripped over. It seemed to be a white piece of material, kind of shaped like a bowl. It had a blue ribbon wrapped around it. Was it some sort of present? I put my head into the indented part and lifted it up with my head. I think there was a word for something like this, I thought as it rested on my head.

"A hat!" I yelled out as the word came to me. I remember reading about them in some of those story books about humans. Apparently you wore it on your head. But what would a hat be doing here? I looked around in all directions, to see if there was anyone else on the beach that could have dropped it, when I spotted a large form a while away. I started to walk towards it.

_Was it a Pokémon_? I thought to myself. _Why was it lying down? _

_Oh no, whoever it was, they were unconscious!_ I started to run towards the sleeping form, but slowed my pace as I got closer and closer, not believing my eyes.

Lying down on the sand completely knocked out. Was a living, breathing human.

I didn't know what to do at first, although my first instinct was to run. But just a few minutes ago, I was ready to help that person, and now I'm considering walking away, just because it's a human?

_But I've never seen a human before!_ I argued with myself. _What if the books are true? And their all evil and mean? What if it tries to eat me!?_

_It's hurt, it doesn't have the strength to attack you_, I reasoned. And it was true. And if it had been a Pokémon knocked out on the beach, I wouldn't have hesitated in making sure they were okay.

_Okay_, I told myself. _Time to be brave._

I inched my way towards the body, keeping my eyes out for the slightest bit of movement. When I was in close proximity, I put the hat down beside the human, which had still been on my head the whole time. I then proceeded to check if it was alive. It looked like it was still breathing, given the rise and fall of its chest. I moved some hair out of its face to get a better look at it. I think it was female. Good, something we had in common. I nudged it a tiny bit with my right talon, but to no end. She didn't stir. I knew humans couldn't understand Pokémon, but I though talking might be worth a try.

"Excuse me, Miss?" I whispered, still a little scarred. I nudged her cheek with my beak. "Miss, are you okay?" I tried again.

I thought I heard a little sigh from the sleeping giant, so I thought I'd keep trying.

"Miss, Please wake up! You're not hurt are you?" I asked a little louder, this time nuzzling her face with my feathers.

Next thing I knew her eyes were wide open. And I was staring right into them. They were big, blue, and very confused.

And then I realized what I'd done.

**June**

I opened my eyes, but I didn't recognize who was in front of me. It was a round, orange, bird-like Pokémon that resembled a type of chicken, and it looked absolutely terrified. It screamed and jumped back at least 10 feet when I woke up. I lifted my head from the sand to look at her, only to regret it instantly. I reached up one of my hands to press against my forehead. Man, my head was pounding. _And where was I? _

I looked around, everything was sort of dim, but not incredibly dark, and the water was lapping calmly against the shore.

_Water...Oh right, I had been caught in a storm._ And now, I had no idea where I was, or when. I looked back at the scared orange Pokémon that seemed to be frozen in place.

"Hi." I said, hoping I seemed like I meant no harm, which I didn't.

The Pokémon seemed surprised at my voice. They took a step towards me apprehensively.

"Y-y-you c-can t-t-talk?" she stuttered out, still obviously scarred. "Yes, I can." I said. Right now I needed to figure out where I was, and this creature, which seemed to be a girl from her higher pitched voice, was my only source of information at the moment. I needed her to calm down.

"What's your name?" I asked an innocent question. Hoping she'd calm down as I talked.

"My n-name's T-Torchic…" she said, still keeping her distance from me. I understood though, in the world I assumed we were in, she wouldn't have ever seen a human in her lifetime.

"Torchic. It's nice to meet you. My name is June," I didn't want to reveal too much information about me. If enemy agents were sent to the past, they would hurt Torchic if she knew too much.

"June. Are-Are you okay? I found you here unconscious. Where did you come from?" Torchic was becoming more comfortable with me, as she was asking me questions.

"I think I'm okay," I reassured her, "And I came from out there," I said as I pointed towards the ocean.

"From there? WAIT! You weren't caught in that horrible storm last night were you!?" she asked rather panicked.

_Last night?_ I thought. _How long was I asleep?_ I simply nodded my answer.

"You must be exhausted! No wonder you were unconscious. Are you sure you're okay?" Her question made me smile a sincere smile. This Pokémon didn't even know me, yet she was worried about my well-being. This amount of kindness from a stranger was so alien to me, coming from a world or darkness.

_Was everyone like this in this world_? I thought. Helpful, kind, caring? It only furthered my determination to steer the future away from the path of darkness.

"I'll be fine. But Torchic, can I ask you where I am?"

"Oh, you're on the beach just outside Treasure Town!" she responded, her mood changing from scared and worried to happy and helpful.

"Treasure Town?" I didn't know where that was. The terrain had changed so much in the future, that this place may not even exist anymore in the world I came from. And then there was Grovyle, I had no idea where he was either. I looked out towards the ocean and wondered.

A part of me wanted to go and search for my best friend, but another, bigger part knew that he'd want me to search for the time gears instead. I knew where they were, and if I knew Grovyle, he'd start to collect the time gears too, despite our separation. And if I did that as well, we'd be sure to meet up again on our searches. Okay, that was that. I saw my hat on the ground and put it on. I then stood up, noticing that my legs were still sore from fighting the current so hard the night before. I towered over Torchic, scaring her a bit in the process.

"Thank you for checking on me Torchic, but I really have to get going." I told her as I attempted to walk past her.

"What? Where are you going? Are you sure you should be moving around so much after what you went through? You still don't look so good." She said back to me.

"I promise I'll be fine. Thank you for your concern though. Now, I really need to go." I said, stepping around her.

"Are you sure? Do you need directions? The Pokémon in Treasure Town might be awfully surprised if you just wandered into town!"

"I'm not going into town, I'm going somewhere else. Now it's getting late, and you should be getting home." I said, wanting to walk away. But I turned back one last time, looking into her worried little eyes. I crouched down to her eye level.

"Bye bye," I said, before walking towards the upper part of the beach. I walked along the rocks, trying to decide what direction I should take next, until I heard a sort of cry. I instantly thought back to Torchic, and my protective instincts took control of me. I ran back to where I'd last seen her, but stayed hidden as I noticed she was with two other Pokémon. Torchic looked like she was about to cry.

"Later, chicken!" the flying blue one said, that I think was a Zubat.

He and the other one, which I think was called a Koffing, then flew off, leaving Torchic sitting on the beach all alone. I debated whether I should go over there. The more time she spent with me, the more likely a target she would become. But watching her sitting by herself while she wept for whatever those two had done to her, I couldn't bring myself to walk away. Yes I had a mission, and yes I had to find Grovyle, but I was also a good person. Something that separated me from the citizens of my world was that I actually cared about what was happening to others. Torchic checked on me when I was all alone, I owed her this much. I walked up behind her, the sand muting my footsteps.

"Torchic?" I asked, getting her attention. She turned and looked at me, her mood instantly brightening.

"You came back!" she yelled, excited to see me. Fresh tears still filled her eyes.

"I heard you scream. Are you okay?" I asked, genuinely concerned.

"T-these two P-Pokémon came and pushed me down," she gasped out her words between her tears. "They-They stole my R-Relic F-Fragment. My-Most p-precious treasure!"

"Relic Fragment?" I asked, not familiar with that object.

"If I don't get it back, t-then I'll, I'll…" she struggled to finish her sentence. Her tears were threatening to overcome her again.

I felt bad for her. I guess the Pokémon in this world weren't all good and kind like she was. And I understood better than anyone the sorrow of losing something you loved. I wish there was something I could do to help, but I was just a human. I couldn't battle on my own to get it back for her, but I felt I needed to do something. Torchic felt worry for me without knowing me. Her kindness, it touched me in a way I had never felt before. I didn't think I could do an awful lot on my own, but maybe together, we could do something.

"Alright then!" I said as I scooped up the tear-stained Torchic in my arms. "Then we're going to get it back!"

"What? R-really?!" Torchic stuttered, a little shocked that I'd picked her up so suddenly.

"Yeah. If we work together, I'm sure we can do it. Then we'll be even. Deal?"

She smiled up at me, her tears drying away to be replaced with a fierce determination.

"Deal!"

**A/N: Next chapter up on Thursday!**


	4. Trust

**A/N: Time to go get the Relic Fragment back! YAY! Here's chapter 4!**

Chapter 4: Trust

I ran as fast as my legs would allow me, still throbbing with pain from the night before. Surrounding us were stone walls of a cobalt blue colour, but I barely registered them as I pressed my legs onward.

This place was apparently called Beach Cave, an appropriate name, seeing as it was a cave situated on the beach. It smelled of salt, and it was incredibly damp as the sound of splashing water resonated in my ears every time my feet hit water. The walls trickled with streams of saltwater, and the sound of dripping echoed throughout the cavern. At the pace I was running, I shouldn't have been able to register any of this, but I did. Because it was what I had been trained to do. Always be on guard, be ready to fight at all times, and most importantly, never get caught.

Torchic was still cradled securely in my arms as my feet pounded against the stone floor. She was still recovering from her confrontation with our targets. After I had calmed her down enough for her to tell me which way the Pokémon had gone, my blood slowly began to boil. I had only known Torchic for a few minutes, and from that time I could already tell that she was the sweetest, most innocent being I had ever met. To take advantage of someone so kind, it made me angry. This brought me to where I was presently; running deeper into this dark, watery cave, perusing the two thieves that had made Torchic cry.

I rounded a corner of the wet labyrinth, only to run into the path of a wild Shellos. And the blue slug Pokémon did not look happy that we were there.

"Oh no!" Torchic gasped, seeing the enemy Pokémon ready to attack. I however was in too much of a rush to deal with a battle right now. I started to run again straight towards my opponent until I was close enough to get momentum. I jumped right over the blue sea slug, landing on the other side of it before continuing to run deeper into the cave.

"Wow, I've never seen anyone avoid a battle like that before." Torchic commented as we headed deeper.

"Well, then you've never met anyone like me before." I said lightheartedly. As a human, I didn't have a lot of means to defend myself with against Pokémon. Back in the future, it was mainly Grovyle who handled the battles. My heart clenched with worry at the thought of him, but I pushed it away. I had to focus on the task at hand, and then I would find my long time companion.

We came into a bigger cavern in the moist cave, only to find that we were surrounded. Three Shellos were blocking our entry to the cave beyond, and there wasn't enough room to jump over them or go around them.

"Torchic." I said seriously.

"Yeah?" she asked, a slight tremor in her voice.

"Can you fight?" I asked, afraid that that was our only option at the moment.

"Well, a little, but I'm not very strong. And it's three on one!" she exclaimed, noticing our dis-advantage.

"I know. But remember, I'm right here. If it gets to be too much for you, we'll head back. But for now, we don't have a lot of other options."

"But-" Torchic started.

"Trust me. I'll help you." I said, slowly putting her down onto the cave floor. She turned around to face her opponents. Triumphant grins could be seen on their faces.

"Torchic, use Growl!" I yelled, commanding her as a trainer would their partner.

She looked confused for a moment, but then complied with my command, growling at her opponents.

The Shellos looked at one another, before they charged her all at once.

"Now, jump up!" I yelled before they pounced on her. She acted fast, and jumped above the Shellos, who all piled up below her.

"Use Scratch on all of them!"

Her talons glowed white as she raked them across the three slug Pokémon over and over again. When she was finished, the slugs didn't move again, all of their eyes having closed in unconsciousness.

"I…..I did it…" Torchic said incredulously. She couldn't believe it.

"I did it!" she said again, this time more proud that shocked. She started to jump up and down in excitement, full of pride at her accomplishment.

"Good job Torchic. Now, are you ready to go deeper?" I asked, ending her little celebration abruptly.

"Oh, yeah! Let's get going!" she said confidently, choosing to walk beside me instead of being carried.

We continued on deeper still, running into more enemies as we did so. And each and every one Torchic took out with my commands guiding her. With every won battle, her confidence grew a little bit more.

_Hopefully_, I thought to myself, _she'll be able to take care of herself more when this is all over, so something like this won't happen again._

We climbed down the last jagged set of stairs that decorated the floor of the cave, and found ourselves standing on a sandy bottom instead of dampened stone. We continued on-wards across the soft plain, until we spotted a pair of two floating individuals that looked very familiar.

"There they are." I stated, ready to face them and retrieve what they stole, but Torchic's confidence got the better of her.

"Hey!" she ran ahead of me and up to the villains, shaking with anger from their crime.

"Well, well," Koffing said, "If it isn't our old friend. The big chicken!"

This insult only seemed to make Torchic angrier.

"Give me…give me back what you stole from me! That's my personal treasure! It means everything to me!

"Treasure you say?" Zubat asked. "So that thing is really valuable huh?"

"It could be worth more than we hoped, I'd say. We might get a good price if we tried selling it. Whoa-ho-ho, all the more reason NOT to give it back!" Koffing concluded.

"What!?" Torchic said.

"Heh-heh-heh! If you want it so badly, then come and get it." Zubat taunted.

Now this was just plain unfair. It was two on one, and Torchic was just a beginner! I decided it was time to make myself known.

"Gladly," I spoke up, walking forward. "Although I hope you don't mind if I even the odds a bit."

Both Koffing and Zubat looked up, and immediately gawked at my appearance. I knew what it must look like, a real life human in a world inhabited only by Pokémon, but maybe I could play that to my advantage.

"W-W-W-W-WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?" Zubat yelled, completely terrified now.

"I-I-Is that a h-h-human!" Koffing asked, scarred too.

I ignored both of them and walked up beside Torchic.

"You ready?" I asked, smiling at the anticipation I was feeling for a battle.

"Oh yeah!" Torchic said excitedly.

"Then let's start off. Use scratch on Zubat!" Torchic jumped up to Zubat's height and scratched him across the face.

"OW!" Zubat yelped, not expecting that.

"Hey, no fair! Tackle!" Koffing yelled as he tackled into Torchic.

"Don't get distracted, use scratch again on Zubat!" I commanded, assuming Zubat was weaker and would go down quicker, evening our odds.

Torchic scratched Zubat again and he went down, leaving just Koffing to deal with.

"I feel kind of funny." Torchic commented. She opened her mouth and blew out a flurry of tiny little flames, which stung against Koffing and dealt massive damage!

"Alright! Torchic, that was the move Ember!" I yelled, excited for the little fire type.

"Really!? Yay, I learned a new move!" she stated elatedly!

"Oh no you don't! Poison Gas!" Koffing yelled as he released a cloud of noxious fumes from his mouth.

"Dodge it!" I yelled, as Torchic veered to the side.

"Finish with Ember!" I said. Torchic then set the little bursts of flame upon Koffing, and he went down like Zubat did.

"We won." I stated. While Torchic celebrated her accomplishment, I walked up to the fallen enemies and leaned down. Their eyes instantly shot open and they cowered in fear.

"D-D-Don't hurt us!" Zubat begged.

"I won't," I said calmly, kind of enjoying the fear being a human struck into the citizens of this world. _Did they really think I was so dangerous?_ "But you will return what you stole, or I will be forced to." I threatened, letting my words sink in.

"O-okay, we will. We already got roughed up, we don't want any more trouble." Zubat said. He unhooked a leather cord from around his wing and held it out to me. I took the cord, seeing that there was a small fragment of stone on the end of it. This must be what Torchic was talking about when she called it a "Relic Fragment". I walked away and up to Torchic.

"Let's go Torchic, we're done here." I told her as we made our way back through the cave, leaving the fallen thieves behind us.

Once we made it back to the beach, it was completely dark out. The sky had been painted black while we were battling inside the cave. I crouched down to Torchic's level and slipped the leather cord around her neck.

"I believe this belongs to you." I said.

Torchic's eyes widened in happiness, overjoyed to have her lost treasure returned to her. The next thing I knew she had jumped up on my lap and started to nuzzle my stomach.

"Thank you so much June! There's no way I could've gotten this back without your help." She praised me.

I felt warmth emanate from the pit of my stomach, and wondered what it was. It was a pleasant feeling, but it was also unfamiliar. _Was this what it felt like to have someone thank you for your actions?_ All my life I'd worked towards a goal that I assumed was for the better, but no one had ever thanked me for all the work I'd done. I had simply known it was right. _It felt good to be recognized for helping others,_ I thought.

"You're welcome." I said, lightly holding her. But as I looked out upon the blackened sea, my thoughts traveled elsewhere.

_Grovyle, _I thought to myself. _Where are you? Are you okay? Are you even alive?_ Worried questions clouded my brain. I had helped Torchic because I owed her a debt, and now that debt has been repaid. It may have been late, but I needed to go. I picked up Torchic lightly and placed her on the sand.

"I have to go now little one. I hope this was enough to repay you for your help."

Torchic looked up at me, utterly confused. Like I was speaking another language. I stood up and turned around, afraid that the longer I stayed here, the greater risk I'd be putting her in. I took a step forward, only to find I couldn't.

My legs collapsed beneath me, bringing me to my knees in the white sand of the beach. My hands fisted the soft grains in frustration.

_Damn it_, I thought, _I put too much strain on my legs. _After trying not to drown in the storm the night before, and then running through the cave to help Torchic, I pushed my stamina farther than it could go. I couldn't go anywhere like this.

"June!" Torchic yelled, worry laced in her high-pitched voice. She ran up to me with big panicked eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Fine Torchic, just tired. But, I'll manage somehow." I tried to stand again, only to fail once more.

"You must be exhausted. You can't go anywhere like this." Torchic stated.

"But I have to go. The longer I stay here…" I trailed off. I couldn't reveal my mission to her. The less she knew the safer she was.

"June it's late. And you're too tired to go wherever it is you need to go. Whatever the reason, I'm sure it can wait 'till morning." She concluded, making up her mind.

"If you can make it just a little further, you can stay the night at my place." She offered.

I wanted to decline, she was already at risk as it was, but my exhaustion wouldn't let the word 'No' escape my lips. It was true that I had nowhere else to go. And if I continued to push myself further and further, I would burn myself out. And then I'd really be vulnerable. As much as I wanted to deny it, Torchic was right. I had to rest. And even though we'd only known each other for less than a day, I….trusted her.

"Okay." I agreed. I'd stay the night with her. But first thing in the morning, I would be gone. Once I got my strength back, I wouldn't have to put any more innocent lives in danger.

"Great! Then it's all settled. Come on! I'll show you the way!" she said, walking a bit ahead of me.

I shakily got up from my knee's to stand, and took a hesitant step forward. No, I wasn't strong enough to go any large distances that night, but I think I was strong enough to make it to Torchic's home. With each step I took I fought off my exhaustion, hoping that my strength would hold out. Slowly, I followed Torchic up the beach, through the darkness of the night that would hopefully hide us both from danger until morning came.


	5. Sunrise

**A/N: Time for some more adventures from June and Torchic! If you happen to be wondering, when I first played Explorers of Time back when it first came out, I took the personality test 3 times to finally get the Pokemon I wanted to be. I chose to be a Piplup and I named myself June. I don't know why I picked that name, I just really liked it. And of all the partner I got to choose between, Torchic was the only girl. And I loved the friendship we had together. Playing that first file was the inspiration for this story. Hope you're enjoying it so far!**

Chapter 5: Sunrise

It wasn't a long walk from the beach to Torchic's home, but it felt like it was light-years away I was so tired. My legs moved like planks of wood, barely bending at all to keep from feeling any more pain than they were already in. When we got up the hill from the beach, we walked through what looked like a marketplace, with shops decorated to look like the bodies of different Pokémon. They all had covers overtop of them, a sign that they were all closed. We walked over a bridge across a tiny creak.

It really was like a little town here. Behind the shops were little tent- like structures where I'm sure the sales-mon and townspeople were all sound asleep by this hour.

We walked further still, until the ground started to feel slightly different. I looked ahead of us, and noticed that we had walked all the way to where the earth fell away. Beyond that, I could see the ocean, stretching over the horizon. I shivered a little, remembering the horrible storm the night before that had threatened to end me. But I shook it off as Torchic walked up towards a pile of leaves near the edge of the cliff. She then started to brush them away, revealing something underneath. A hole. And in that hole was what looked like a set of stairs, heading down underground.

"Come on, it's just down here." Torchic reassured me. I complied with the little chicken Pokémon and headed down the stairs.

Once I had reached the bottom, the stairs opened up into a cavern. It was very spacious, and when I looked out the side, I could still see the ocean. This was a cavern that had been hollowed out in the side of the cliff. It was very efficient architecture for a place so precariously placed.

"Well, this is it! Home sweet home. This is Sharpedo Bluff!" Torchic informed me.

"Sharpedo Bluff?" I asked. What a strange name for a cliff.

"Yup! I'm pretty sure it gets its name from the fact that the cliff itself looks like a Pokémon named Sharpedo." She explained.

"Oh." I said. Well that made sense, naming a place after something you associated it with. Although in the future, most places had names that were all similar, since the darkness touched everywhere and were therefore all named with words like 'Dark' and 'Dusk'.

"Okay, time for bed." Torchic announced. I noticed a heap of what looked like straw in the middle of the floor which I assumed was her bed. Torchic went to one of the barrels in the cavern which contained more straw, and added it to the already existing pile, making it even bigger. Then she started jumping up and down on it, spreading it and shaping it to her liking before she jumped off. When she was finished, it was an oval shaped pile, big enough for a much larger being than her.

"Okay, all ready." She announced.

By that time I didn't even have the energy to respond. Finally letting my legs give way, I slumped to the ground beside the bed and crawled in, laying my head down on the soft, grassy material. It was most definitely a nest, but it was surprisingly comfortable. But then again, I had slept in much worse places.

Torchic crawled in beside me and lay down on her back.

"Goodnight June." She said to me. A few moments after closing her eyes, I could see her breathing change to deep and slow, signaling her transition from awake to asleep.

I wanted to follow suit. My body was tired, and shutting down as I thought, but I couldn't stop my mind from buzzing with a million different thoughts. I was worried about Grovyle, I was worried about time, I was worried about my mission, I was worried about being followed, but at the moment, I was most worried about Torchic. She was so small, so sweet and innocent. If I inadvertently put her in danger by trusting her, then I don't think I could ever forgive myself. She stood for everything we were fighting for. Everything I was trying to protect. My eyelids felt like lead weights, as I finally submitted to my fatigue. Before I slipped into slumber though, I couldn't help uttering the same words Torchic had said to me. A wish for pleasant dreams and that when you woke up, you would still be safe.

"Good night…"

I had a dreamless sleep. It was rare for someone like me, with my powers. With my abilities to communicate with not only Pokémon, but the fabric of space and time around me, my dreams usually happened to pick up random snippets of memories and feelings. My exhaustion must have been too great. My whole body, mind included, just felt heavy after what I had been through. But begrudgingly, my eyes did open after a few hours rest.

I took in my surroundings, checking for danger. But all was still and quiet in the early hours. I still hadn't gotten used to how the flow of time still moved around me. When all you'd ever known was stillness, even the smallest movement seemed earth shattering.

I registered another's breathing and looked down, seeing that in her sleep Torchic had curled up against me for warmth. It was truly adorable, a creature so small. She looked like a child, compared to me. But then it occurred to me. Danger was still evident, even in this peacefulness. If the Primal ruler of the future sent someone after us, to hunt us down and bring us back, they would go through whoever stood in their way. Including…

I looked down at her again and I felt my heart cringe. The thought of her getting hurt upset me greatly. She was just so innocent. **So good….**

I moved my legs a bit, noticing that even with the few hours rest they were already better than they had been. They were still a bit sore, but they no longer ached every time I flexed my muscles.

_It would be better if she forgot me. _The words echoed in my head. It would be safer for her, if I just left. With her curiosity, she'd probably ware me down about why I was really here. And the less she knew, the safer she'd be.

Slowly I stood up, careful not to wake her. I swayed a little, but I was otherwise alright. I walked around the bed to lean in close to her.

"Thank you my friend. Be safe." I whispered. I then stood up, and made my way up the stairs. Once I had gotten to the top I noticed it immediately. The sky, it was significantly less dark then it had been before I'd fallen asleep. But how…?

_Of course. _I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn't in my world anymore. Time moved here, and that meant that the seasons changed, the weather changed, and-

And there it was. Slowly but surely, the darkness in the sky was met with an opponent. An army of colours suddenly started to invade from beyond the mountain tops, like a war had been started. They were bright colours, with varying shades of violet, pink, orange, yellow; all bursting with life. And behind it all-

I backed up, like the mere appearance of it had struck a physical blow in my chest. I put my hand to heart, feeling it pulse with rhythm.

A large, bright ball of light started to rise above the horizon. It was like the grand emperor, leading the army into battle. It rose higher and higher into the sky, like it would never ever fall again. It filled the world with life as it chased away the darkness the night had brought. Higher and higher it rose, painting the sky like it was a canvas. It was beautiful. It was the sun.

No dreams I could have ever conjured would have done the real thing justice. It was perfection, immortalized forever by the fires of heaven and singed into my memory like a brand. I hadn't even noticed the silent tears slipping down my face as I marveled at the breathtaking sunrise. The first sunrise I had ever seen. And I was happy. Happy to have gotten to see such splendor before I did what I was destined to do. And despite all the dangers, all the risks that I had taken in coming back to the past, this one moment, had made it all worth it.

It was so warm, and so bright. I had to look away, no longer being able to withstand the pain in my eyes. It made sense of course. How could staring at something so perfect not cause the witness pain? Yet I did not brush the tears away as they continued to fall. I hadn't in years. Not since I was a child.

_Tears are not your weakness June. For a single one of your tears, contains the hope of millions. You alone, are the only one left who understands what has been lost. Everyone else still left, they have all forgotten. They lost their hope long ago. But you still hold it. Tears are not weakness my child. They speak of precious, unbounded emotions that have long been lost to those of this world. They speak of immeasurable sorrow, overpowering anger, breathtaking happiness, and unspeakable love. They are not weakness June. They will be your greatest strength._

The words from the past faded from my mind. A time long ago, when the darkness had almost overcome me. But those words, spoken by that lovely woman, had fused something to my soul. A single truth that had stuck with me, my entire life.

"Beautiful isn't it?" a voice sounded beside me. I looked down to see Torchic, watching the sun in the sky.

_I'd been so focused, _I thought, _I hadn't even noticed her._

"I woke up and you weren't there anymore. I'm surprised that you woke up so early, after what you went through I expected you to sleep all day." Torchic said.

_Maybe I would have, if I was a normal girl. _But I had been trained to operate on only a few hours of sleep. Being on the run meant one always had to be on guard.

"Hey June, are you hungry?"

"Huh?"

"If you are, I could go get us some breakfast!"

_Even now, she's still looking after me._

"Actually Torchic, I really have to get going now." I told her.

"Where?" she asked.

"Somewhere far away." I told her. I couldn't tell her any of the locations of the time gears. Only a few could know of my mission, any more and panic would ensue. I crouched down to Torchic's level.

"Torchic, I need you to do something for me."

"Yes?"

"I need you to forget about me."

"W-What!? W-Why?"

"Torchic, there are many things that I can't tell you. Like the reason I'm here, where I'm going, where I'm from. But everything I've done, and everything I'm about to do, I do for good reasons. There are those, who are trying to stop me, who will come after me. So I'm asking you, please just forget about me. Forget you ever met me, forget I ever existed. Please." I finished. Torchic looked conflicted. She wanted to please me, but at the same time, she didn't want to obey. I felt bad, and a little scared about leaving her here all alone, unprotected. But I needed to leave, and I needed to do it today.

"Goodbye." I told her, as I stood up to leave.

"But wait, you can't go through town!" she objected. I turned back.

"By now, they've all woken up. And nobody's ever seen a human before. If you just walk into town, there'll be an uproar!"

I thought about her words. It was true; the less people knew about my presence here the better. But how would I get through town?

"I could go with you." Torchic suggested. "I know how to get through town without being seen. Please, just let me go with you till we reach the end of town." She pleaded.

I was conflicted. The more time I spent with Torchic, the more I didn't want to leave. And the more danger I put her in. But maybe I could ask for help just one more time, if it meant she would make her promise.

"If I let you help me, I'll need you to promise to forget about me when I'm gone."

She looked at the ground, not liking the idea much.

"Torchic, I'm going one way or another. But if you promise to forget about me, at least I'll know you'll be safe."

"You would worry about me?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, you're the nicest Pokémon ever. And you helped me even though you were afraid of me. Of course I'd worry…" I trailed off. We were encroaching on dangerous territory here. If our relationship progressed any further than this, it would complicate things.

"Your…a very caring person June." Torchic said. I gazed down at her, a pang of guilt stabbing my heart at the sight of her looking so sad.

"Okay. I promise, as soon as you leave, I'll forget about you." She said. I smiled; my mind would definitely be put at ease once I left now. And with that, we started through town.

I had been trained for stealth and surveillance in the future, so when hiding from the civilians, all I had to do was fall back into my old routine. Stay low to the ground, keep to the shadows, and above all else, be silent. Torchic meanwhile walked through town, distracting other Pokémon when I needed to move through a larger area. It was an efficient plan. But then we stopped behind what looked like a shop that sold goods for traveling. I was wondering what Torchic was doing, stopping at such a location. I didn't dare look out of my hiding place from behind the stall, but I was able to catch snippets of what they were saying.

"And I'd like one apple please!" I heard Torchic say. Was she buying food? Whatever for?

"Aahh, of course. Here you are. Please come again soon!" I heard one of the sales-mon say.

"Misters Kecleon!" I heard two new voices approaching the stall. They sounded even younger than Torchic.

"Aahh little Marill and Azurill! Welcome my young friends!"

"Hello! May I buy an apple?" the youngest one said, Azurill I think.

"Oh most certainly!" the sales-mon said.

"Thank you Misters Kecleon!" the older one, Maril said.

"No thank you, my young friends! You are to be admired!" _Admired?_ I thought. I wonder what he meant by that.

"You see," the sales-mon said, probably to Torchic, "those delightful children are brothers. Lately their poor mother has fallen ill, so those two come and do the shopping for her. It's quite remarkable. Though they are young, they've stepped up and taken charge!"

"Mister's Kecleon!" I heard their voices return.

"What is it? What makes you return in such a rush?"

"There was an extra apple." One of them said

"We didn't pay for this many." The other one said.

"Oh," Kecleon said. "That is a gift from me and my brother. Please share it amongst yourselves."

I was shocked to hear this conversation. Not only had the children returned to give back the apple, but the one called Kecleon gave it to them as a gift? Things were so different here. In the world of the future, anything you wanted you took, and everything you had you stole from someone else. There were no gestures of kindness, no honesty or generosity. How could the creatures of this time be so compassionate? So _**good?**_

I was listening quietly to the brother's departure when I hurt a loud thud and a quiet yelp of pain. The next thing I knew, something hit my foot lightly. I looked down, and saw that it was a bright red apple.

"Oh no," I heard someone, Azurill say, followed by footsteps coming up to my hiding spot in the shadows behind the shop. I immediately froze, trying to stay as silent as possible. I watched helplessly as the shadow approached, getting closer and closer to where I was. I made myself small, bringing my legs up to my chest.

Then from around the shops corner, I saw a little creature pop its head out. He was small, blue and round like a ball. And he had a tail that was even bigger than his whole body. He had little pink cheeks and shiny black eyes, and he'd yet to notice me as he looked around for his apple.

He spotted the apple, a few inches away from me, and made his way closer, a smile on his face having found his object. But as he got closer, he looked up.

And he saw me.

**A/N: CLIFF HANGER! What will happen next time!?**


	6. Scream

**A/N: I think I want more people to know about a human in Treasure Town, I'm just not sure when I want them to find out. The guild will definitely find out, and I've planned that in, I'm just not sure about the whole town yet. What do you guys think? **

Chapter 6: Scream

The world froze again in that one moment.

I could have been back in the planet's paralysis for all I knew. The moment that little blue Pokémon walked up to me and noticed my existence, it was like time stopped all over again. I even found myself wondering if I had been too late and if the planet's paralysis really happened so fast. And yet strangely, I could still breathe, the sun was still shining, and the environment didn't change. No, time was still moving; it just felt like it had stopped for the two of us.

My mind went blank. If I moved too quickly, Azurill could scream or cry and alert the others to my presence, but I couldn't just stay here forever, he had already seen me. I had to assure him that he wasn't in any danger. Somehow, I had to show him that I could be trusted.

I looked down at the apple. Slowly, I reached out towards it. I expected Azurill to flinch, cringe, or respond in some way, but he didn't. He just kept staring at me, frozen in fear and wonder. I touched the apple, and picked it up with my hand. I held it out towards Azurill, hoping that it would come across as a peaceful gesture. Azurill's eyes grew wide, and hesitantly, he waddled up to my outstretched hand. He took the apple from me, by balancing it on his head, and then switched it to his tail. He looked up at me.

I put my finger to my lips, signaling for him to be silent. He nodded his head, and smiled. I was surprised at that, but I smiled back. Before I could stop myself I placed my hand on top of his head. He didn't seem to be afraid anymore. And just that simple fact, touched me.

"Azurill!" someone called, causing us both to turn. It was Marill, Azurill's brother. Azurill walked toward the light shining in from the main street, but turned back to look at me one last time.

"Thank you." He whispered, before he went on his was. I breathed a huge sigh of relief. That went better than I ever could have imagined.

Then it happened.

The dizziness. It overcame me. The world started to phase in and out of focus, and everything felt like it was spinning.

_What? N-now?_ I was able to think. Then a white streak of light cut across my vision, and the world faded away.

_H-H-HEEEELP! _

But as quickly as it occurred, it ended. I scrambled from my hiding spot in the shadows, and poked my head around the corner of the shop. But Azurill looked fine; he was looking both ways before he continued on his way to find his brother. He didn't look like he was in danger, but that sounded like his voice.

_T-that was-_

"June!" Torchic loudly whispered as she made her way around the shop. "Are you alright? I thought you'd been discovered!" she asked, frantically.

"I-I'm fine Torchic." I said, my mind still racing.

"Okay, we're almost half-way through. Let's go." Torchic said as we made our way through the rest of the town. I made sure to keep to the shadows the whole time, but my mind was otherwise occupied.

How was that possible? The dizziness, the voice. They were all signs of my ability. The Dimensional Scream. The power to reach into the past or future of a person or object. The bending of reality to manifest as visions inside my head. But this one was just a voice. That didn't happen that often, only when what I was touching wasn't the cause of the event that was happening. But I was so certain, that in the dimensional scream I had heard Azurill. But what did that mean? The ability only manifested when something was connected to a Time Gear. Was that it? Was Azurill somehow connected to my mission? One way or another I had to find out.

In a matter of minutes, we had made it to the edge of town. I recognized it from the night before. It was a huge crossroad. One way there was a giant case of stairs, leading up to what looked like another cliff, and across from it was the hill the lead down to the beach. Straight ahead there was a path, with mounted directions on a sign for everywhere you could possibly need to go.

"Okay, here we are, the edge of town." Torchic told me.

"Good. And you remember your promise don't you?" I asked. Torchic looked towards the ground but nodded her head. Then, we heard voices coming our way.

"Oh no, HIDE!" Torchic said as she pulled on my leg, causing me to trip into a nearby bush.

"Thank you so much Mr. Drowsee!" I knew that voice, I realized. It was the Marill brothers again.

"Think nothing of it." A new voice said, assumingly Drowsee.

"Uh, Hey guys!" Torchic said. Why she was drawing attention to herself I didn't know.

"Oh, hey, you were in front of Kecleon's Shop right?" Marill asked.

"Yup! My name's Torchic. So where are you going?" Torchic asked.

"Oh just up to Mt. Bristle. We lost an important item a while ago, and Drowsee said he saw it up there!" Marill explained.

"Oh really? That's nice." Torchic said.

"Now, shall we go off?" Drowsee asked. Marill and Azurill walked ahead of him, but then Drowsee walked by the bush I was hiding in.

I hissed in pain, but kept in my words. Drowsee had stepped on my hand while he was passing by. But thankfully he didn't hear my hiss of pain, and kept walking. But it happened again.

The dizziness. The head-pounding. The world spinning. Then the white flash of light that cut my vision away from the world of the present. And then I was somewhere else.

It was a mountain. The rocks were grey, and everything was made of stone. Standing before me was a creature who I assumed was Drowsee and Azurill, and the latter looked scared. Drowsee was talking to him.

"If you keep being difficult, it will mean big trouble for you!" Drowsee yelled menacingly. The complete opposite of what he'd been only moments ago in reality.

"H-H-HEEEELP!" Azurill screamed.

*Flash*

Then I was back. I sat upright, covered in leaves and still sitting in the bush, but I wasn't focused on that. _What did I just see?_

Torchic signed. "That was a close one. They almost saw you June."

I stood up abruptly, letting my instincts guide me.

"June?" Torchic said.

"I have to go." I said, my tone was the pinnacle of serious.

"N-Now? But why, where will you go?"

"They're in danger." I said to myself, ignoring Torchic's questions.

"What? Who's in danger?" she kept asking.

"He must be connected somehow. I can't believe they found me already." I said, making my way towards the path. Mt. Bristle was where they were going, and it's where I was going too.

"June wait! What's going on?" Torchic asked, stepping in front of me. She was obviously fed up with being ignored.

"I'm sorry Torchic, but this is where I say goodbye." I said. I didn't have time to argue. Those Pokémon were in danger, and if Drowsee was an agent sent here for me, he was going to hurt them.

"B-but-"she started.

"You promised remember?" I reminded her. This was the end of the line for her. My presence here had already endangered two others; I refused to let her get hurt too.

"I know but-"

"Stay." I told her while holding up my hand. It wasn't a suggestion, it was an order. I had to catch up to them, and fast. Torchic stopped following, looking positively conflicted.

"Stay." I told her one last time. And then I turned around. I wanted to look back, but I resisted. And then, without a second thought….

I ran.

* * *

**Torchic**

I stood there as I watched June go, ashamed of myself.

I had so many questions, ones that she wouldn't answer. And now, she was just gone. And I hadn't stopped her.

_Who is she?_ I asked myself. Ever since I met her, I had gotten the feeling that she was in some sort of danger. And I wanted to help, but she'd fought me every step of the way.

_Maybe I should just let her go_, I thought.

I'd made a promise to forget about her. And I wasn't the sort of Pokémon to break a promise. But I just couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't right. Whether she liked it or not, June was all alone, and she really didn't understand that in this world, humans didn't exist. They were just stories. Legends told around bonfires. And her entire existence could cause mass panic in not only single Pokémon, but whole towns. Her presence here, it would change things.

And then there was all that stuff she had said she couldn't tell me. That it would be safer if I was kept in the dark. And that bugged me. Not that it was any of my business, but I was the one who had found her. Cared for her. And I always got the feeling, that every time she denied help from me, she was fighting herself. It was like she wanted my help, but forbid herself from taking it.

I knew I should have just walked away. That I should have kept my promise. But none of that mattered in that moment. What did matter was that I had met someone who had needed help, whether she knew it or not. And no matter how scared I was of her being mad at me for breaking my promise, I couldn't stop the part of my brain that was screaming at me to do what I did.

And so without a second thought, I started after her.

* * *

**June**

I slowed down from running for a while after I started. I might have been better rested than before, but my legs were still not in great shape. I couldn't push myself too much, or I would just collapse again. I made it to the bottom of Mt. Bristle. But then I spotted a blue Pokémon coming back down. I quickly hid behind a wall so that I wouldn't be seen.

The blue Pokémon looked like Azurill, except his body was bigger and his tail was much smaller. He must have been Marill. He also looked very worried. He ran past my hiding spot in the direction I had just come.

_He must have ditched him. _I reasoned. If Drowsee was an enemy agent, then he would want as much information about my presence as he could get. And Azurill was the only one who had seen me, so he would have had no use for Marill. Well, at least it showed that he was merciful. Marill didn't know anything, so he let him go. But Azurill was still in danger. I started my way up the cliff.

There were many rock and flying type Pokémon. Which made sense, seeing as the mountain was made of rock, but high up enough that the flying types could rest. I avoided all of them, using my surveillance skill to climb the walls where other Pokémon couldn't reach. I avoided eye contact, which was the main way for Pokémon to start a battle. As I climbed the mountain I wondered about Drowsee's motives.

It made sense that he'd want to take Azurill to a secluded area, but I knew from my previous encounters that this place had nothing to do with any time gears.

Is that why I had a dimensional scream when I touched Azurill? Was it trying to tell me that Azurill would become a target for the people trying to stop me? But still, that didn't really have anything to do with the time gears. I couldn't wrap my mind around it.

Eventually, I made it to the peak of the mountain, after much climbing and careful maneuvering.

"If you keep being difficult, it will mean big trouble for you!" Drowsee yelled, just like he had in my vision.

"H-H-HEEEELP!" Azurill screamed.

I stepped forward, like I had when Koffing and Zubat threatened to take on Torchic two on one.

"Stop!" I yelled, gaining their attention. Drowsee's mouth dropped while Azurill beamed with excitement.

"Leave him alone." I said slowly, walking forward as I did.

"W-what are you!?" Drowsee stuttered, backing up from me.

"Don't play games with me. You know exactly who I am, and stealing Azurill to get what you want is exactly the kind of thing I'd expected from someone like you." I spat.

"How-How are you talking to me? How are you understanding me? You-You're supposed to be a human!" Drowsee said, completely confused.

"I am human, and you're a coward. Threatening an innocent to get to me."

"What are you talking about!?"

"You already know!" I yelled, tired of his act. Out of desperation, he fired an attack at me. It was Confusion, and it sent me back a few feet. If I was going to get answers, I needed to defeat him. I looked at the ground and saw some sticks.

"Take this!" I said as I started hurling the sticks towards him, aimed perfectly to strike him and not his captive.

"Aaaah!" he yelled as he took the attack. He then charged me with a tackle attack, ramming me in the stomach. I hit the mountain wall hard, grasping my stomach in pain, but not falling over. I wasn't going to be taken down so easily.

"You're not supposed to be real. Human's don't exist!" Drowsee yelled before he attacked again. His words confused me, but before his attack hit, someone jumped in front of me.

"Ember!" A familiar voice shouted as it sent a flurry of small flames at Drowsee, knocking him back. Then I realized who it was.

"Torchic!?" I yelled in both anger and astonishment. "I told you not to follow me."

"I know, and I'm sorry I broke my promise. But I'm here, and you can't change that." she said.

"A Pokémon? Defending a human?" Drowsee asked incredulously.

"Leave her alone!" Torchic shouted, but even as she did her knees were shaking.

"Ha! Can you really hope to beat me? You're shaking like a leaf as it is!" Drowsee teased, more confident now that he was fighting a Pokémon.

"Torchic…" I said. I wanted to be angry, but I couldn't be. Torchic had ignored my warnings and everything I'd said, just to make sure that I was okay. We were a little bit similar I realized. We were both worried about the other.

"Torchic, use Growl!" I called. Torchic responded immediately, growling at Drowsee, lowering his attack.

Drowsee charged Torchic with a tackle, but it didn't get far.

"Now use Scratch!" I called, which Torchic used right across Drowsee's face.

"Finish it with Ember!" I called. Torchic then launched an array of flames again, sending Drowsee flying backwards to land on his back. He didn't rise again after that.

"We won!" Torchic celebrated.

"Torchic, go make sure Azurill's okay." I said.

Torchic did as I asked, and went to check on the little blue Pokémon. Meanwhile I went up to Drowsee and fisted my hand in his fur.

"Wake up!" I commanded. Drowsee moaned a bit before opening his eyes, shocked to see that he was literally face to face with a human.

"Who sent you?" I asked, wanting answers.

"W-What?" he answered.

"I know you have something to do my mission. Now talk! Who sent you? Was it the Primal ruler himself, or are you just a minion?" I asked.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about! I-I just wanted the treasure, I swear!"

"What treasure?" I asked. Now I was confused.

"June," Torchic said, "I just talked to Azurill. Drowsee led Azurill up here because he needed his help. Back there is a small cavern rumored to have treasure in it." Torchic explained. I looked back and saw the hole in the wall. It was just big enough for Azurill to fit through.

"B-But…" I said, but couldn't finish. I looked down at Drowsee again. The fear and confusion I saw on his face wasn't faked, it was real. And that meant…

I let go of Drowsee, letting him slump to the floor in front of me. But this didn't make sense. I had the Scream. And the dimensional scream only activated when something was connected to a time gear. A person, or a place, or an object. It didn't activate otherwise, never. Right…?

I was so confused. My abilities, they were working differently. Had they changed when I went back in time? Or did the ability just have different origins in the past? I looked at the ground, not registering the world around me.

It was like I was lost at sea all over again.

I didn't know where I was, or where to go from here. I was alone, without Grovyle to guide me or battle with me like he's always done before. And now, the only thing I was certain of, the only thing that made me capable of going on this mission in the first place, now felt unknown to me too. I had nothing to go on. No leads, no direction, no partner. For the first time in my life, I didn't have a plan.

I was lost.


	7. Truth

**A/N: This chapter will be a little bit shorter than the others, but it is very important none-the-less. Now I've been asked when June was going to go find Grovyle, and I think I either want them to meet up again at the underground lake, or the crystal lake. I haven't decided yet. But I'll figure it out!**

Chapter 7: Truth

We led Azurill home after that. I was careful to keep out of sight while Torchic talked to Marill, and then Torchic and I went back to Sharpedo Bluff, but I didn't go inside. I sat on the edge of the cliff, looking out at the sea in deep thought.

_What now? _I thought. I had nowhere to go, and no one to turn to. I had nothing. I had come back to this time to fix things, to save my world from the future it was trapped in. But now, I was questioning everything.

_Maybe I can't do this all alone._

The thought occurred to me. It was true that I still had my mission. And even though the dimensional scream was acting up, it _was_ still working. I didn't want to give up on my mission, but I needed resources. In this world, I was out of place. A stranger. I needed information. Maybe if I could learn about this world more, I would have a better grasp of what my next move should be. I felt a nudge from behind.

"June." I heard Torchic say.

I turned around to face her.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked, not meeting my eyes.

"Why would I be?" I asked absently. I was so deep in thought, I hadn't analyzed the question.

"Because I broke my promise." She said.

I smiled a bit at that. Here I was, worrying about how to change history, and Torchic was busy worrying about a broken promise.

"No, I'm not mad. In fact, I've already forgiven you." I said honestly.

"Really?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah. If it wasn't for you, Drowsee probably would have beaten me."

"Then, what's wrong?" she asked.

I thought about my answer for a moment. "So many things," I ended up saying.

"Well, can I help?"

I looked at her then. She was so innocent. So kind. How could someone like her, care so much about someone like me? All I've done since getting here was push her away? I felt my eyes sting.

"Why?" I asked back. "Why would you want to help me?"

"Well, because you just seem like you need it. Does there need to be another reason?"

I shut my eyes tightly. Maybe I did need help. All alone, in a world I didn't belong in, I couldn't possible hope to fit in. But the thought of her or anyone else getting hurt because of my enemies, it made my heart feel like it was being shredded.

"No." I whispered. "I don't want that. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"What do you-?"

"I can't let anyone else get hurt again! Not because of me…" I said, tears escaping my eyes and rolling down my face.

"I already…..I already lost someone else. I was selfish, to think that I could keep her safe. I don't want-" my breath caught. "I don't want to lose you too…"

Torchic jumped on my lap, and looked up at me.

"You know, I've never had a friend before." I looked down at her, confused.

"I was always by myself. But ever since I was a little kid, I've always dreamed of exploring. I wanted to go too far away places, and discover lots of treasure! I always got so excited whenever I thought about stuff like that.

"Do you remember," she asked, "when we first met. What those guys stole from me? I called it a Relic Fragment back then." She held it up from around her neck. "Look closely."

So I did, and low and behold, there was a tiny design scratched onto it. It was very intricate, and it looked very old.

"Ever since I found it, I wanted to find out the mystery behind it. But, I was too scared to become an explorer." She looked down, ashamed. "But then, I met you June."

My eyes widened. She continued to speak though.

"Ever since I met you, I haven't been afraid anymore. I've been able to do so many things. And in a way, meeting you _was _like going on an adventure. And, it's weird. I'm not really sure why, but ever since we met, I got the feeling, that I was supposed to help you."

My heart clenched at her words. She wanted to help me? Despite all the dangers?

"And you know, I don't think you have to force yourself to be alone. Everyone needs help sometimes right?"

I thought back to long ago. When Grovyle was Treeko, and he wanted to save the whole world by himself. I had told him the same thing Torchic was telling me. That alone we can't do everything, but we can do something. And together, we could do anything. I took a deep breath of air, and breathed it out, instantly feeling lighter. I looked down at Torchic and smiled.

"You're right." I told her. I hugged her close to my chest. "Thank you Torchic."

We went down into the cavern of Sharpedo Bluff after that. I had made Torchic a bed of her own so she didn't have to share with me, and set her down on it.

"Torchic, do you really want to help me?"

"Yes!" she chirped instantly.

"Even though it might be dangerous?"

"Uh-huh!" she nodded.

"Even though it might sound impossible."

"You bet!" I smiled at her optimism, she reminded me of Celebi in a way.

"Okay. I'm going to tell you the truth then. But you need to promise that no matter what, you will never tell anyone what I am about to say. Promise?"

"I promise!"

I took a breath, readying myself for my explanation.

"What I'm about to tell you, is going to sound impossible. But it is the truth. I am not from this world Torchic. And I don't just mean from the world of Pokémon. I mean from this point in history." She listened intently, hanging on my every word.

"I come from the future Torchic. From a place where things have yet to be."

She gasped at my words, but she didn't interrupt. She wanted to hear more.

"In the present time, there are two earths. The legend is that humans and Pokémon used to live in one world, together in harmony. But then everything changed when war came, and the humans used the Pokémon as soldiers. The god of all living things, the first Pokémon called Arceus, was so disgusted by the human's behavior, that he split the world in two, so that Pokémon could never be hurt by humans again. That's why everyone here is so afraid of me.

"But sometime, foreseeably in this time period, the world is going to end."

"What!?"

"Torchic, do you know about the time gears?" I asked.

"The time gears. Yeah, everyone knows about them. They're said to be scattered all over the world, regulating time for all the different areas."

"Yes, that is what they do now. But it was not there original purpose. There is a Pokémon that was said to be created by Arceus to govern time itself. This being was named Dialga. Dialga lives in a secret place called the Hidden Land, and protects a structure called Temporal Tower. This tower is rumored to give structure to time itself. Dialga created Temporal Tower and the time gears to regulate time while he controlled it. But, something went terribly wrong.

"Temporal Tower collapsed, stopping time forever, and ruining the world. In the future, they call it the Planet's Paralysis."

"Why's that?"

"Because in a world where time no longer moves, everything is still. The sun never rises, the wind never blows, and the seasons don't come. The world is perpetually frozen, never moving forward. It is a dark, horrible world. It is a world that has ended.

"That is the world I come from. I was born during the Planet's Paralysis. It's where I grew up."

"What happened to Dialga?"

"When Temporal Tower collapsed, so did his sanity. He is now a primal being, governed only by darkness, and seeking only self-preservation. And in a world that is forever dark, he is all powerful."

"What about Arceus?"

"Arceus has lost all his power in the future world. Dialga is even stronger than his creator now. And when time collapsed, so did the wall separating the humans from the Pokémon. Although, those who weren't frozen in time went underground. Everyone gave up hope.

"That's why I'm here Torchic. I traveled back in time with the help of a Pokémon named Celebi. I came here to stop the planet's paralysis from ever happening."

"You came here to save the world?!" Torchic asked.

"Yes. To save it from darkness, I came back. The time gears, they regulate time because they are connected to the tower. They were all made using the same power. But they also act as a fail-safe. If I can collect five time gears, and take them to the tower, then it will stop the collapse. Time won't stop, and history will change for the better." I ended my explanation. Torchic looked completely awestruck. I sat there, waiting for her to say something, anything really. I started to get worried. Did she think I was crazy now?

"Wow." She said.

"So, do you believe me?" I asked.

"Of course I do June. I trust you. And, I admit, it does sound kind of impossible, but you don't seem like the kind of person to lie about something like that, so I believe you."

I smiled. It felt good to have someone to talk to, and who actually believed me. Stubbornly, I still worried about her safety. Now that she knew everything, she would definitely be a target. But she had asked to help, which meant she accepted the risks that came with that.

"So, is that why you can talk to Pokémon?" she asked.

"Maybe. To tell the truth, I'm not sure how I got the ability to communicate with Pokémon. I've had it for as long as I can remember. Like the dimensional scream."

"What's that?"

"Sometimes I can get visions from the past or future if I touch something related to it."

"COOL!" Torchic said. 'So, what are you going to do now?"

'I'm not sure. First I guess, I need a map. And information."

"June. Maybe you should ask the Pokémon at Wigglytuff's guild for help."

"Wigglytuff's what?"

"Wigglytuff's Guild is an explorer organization. It's a bunch of explorer's who all live and work in town. I tried to apply before, but I was too scared to get through the front doors." Torchic admitted.

"Torchic, I really don't want many Pokémon to know about my mission. The less Pokémon know, the safer it will be for everyone."

"But June, you admitted yourself that you can't do this all alone. I'll help you in any way I can, but there isn't a whole lot I can do besides battle. If you need information, I think it could be worth a shot to let them know the truth."

"What if they don't believe me?" I asked. I was surprised Torchic believed me, I'd have a hard time convincing anyone else.

"Then we'll make them believe! And besides, if we got them on our side, we wouldn't have to worry about them getting attacked. Everyone at the guild is super strong!"

The more I thought about it, the more I realized Torchic was right. For the moment, I was on my own in this world, with only Torchic on my side. I knew Grovyle was out there somewhere, but to get started on my journey, I would require help.

"Alright. Then let's go, to Wigglytuff's guild." I submitted.

"Alright!" Torchic cheered as she made her way towards the stairs.

I followed Torchic out of Sharpedo's Bluff, wondering if I was about to make the best decision I'd ever made, or the biggest mistake of my entire life.

**A/N: Oh, how I loved the guild when I played the game. I am looking forward to the coming chapters, I really am. Hope you have a nice day!**


	8. Believe

**A/N: Hey guys. I've already mentioned this in my other stories, but in case you don't know, I'm going on a trip at the end of the month, and I'll be gone for 5 months. But don't worry, I'm still going to write and update my stories. Also, sorry if my updates are kind of random for the next few weeks, this trip is going to take a lot of preparation. But I'm going to try to update on Mondays. Okay, enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 8: Believe

By the time we'd made it to Wigglytuff's guild, it was sundown. The bright oranges and pink's of sunset faded to a violet twilight as the sun rested for the night. I was still getting used to the amount of change this world went through. Every little colour or movement was like magic to me.

Up the very big case of stairs situated to the right of Treasure Town, was a tent that was shaped like the Pokémon Wigglytuff. It was pink and had two long ears, but there was a cast-iron gate in the front, forbidding us entry. In front of the gate was a rusted looking grate covering a hole in the ground. Two burning torches stood on either side of the menacing tent. This place was nothing like the shops in town.

I was brought out of my contemplative thoughts by a trembling sound beside me. I looked down to see my new friend Torchic shaking like a leaf.

"Torchic?" I asked, startling her into jumping 10 feet in the air. "You okay?"

"O-Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Perfectly fine!" she responded a little rushed.

"So how do we get in?" I asked, gesturing to the gate covering the entry.

"Um, you need to stand on the grate, I think." She said. This method of entry confused me, but it was a different time. They did things differently here.

"Why don't you go first then?" I asked. If they could identify us somehow using the grate, it would be better for a Pokémon to be identified first. On the slim chance they could even identify me as a human; they would surely lock us out.

"R-r-r-r-right." She stuttered. "Be brave, be brave…" she chanted to herself as she stepped onto the grate.

"Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!" A voice sounded from below.

"AAAAAHH!" Torchic yelled, startled by the random voice. But she didn't move off of the grate.

"Who's footprint!? Who's footprint!?" A different, deeper voice asked.

"The footprint is Torchic's! The footprint is Torchic's!" The first voice said.

I watched the exchange with intrigue. So that's why they had the grate. It was to identify the footprints of Pokémon who came to the guild before they entered; probably to judge whether they were dangerous or not. After all, a Torchic would be a lot less threatening than say, a Salamence.

"You may enter!" the second voice said. Torchic sighed a breath of relief and stepped off the grate, waiting for the gate to open.

"HEY! Someone else is with you! So get that person to stand UP THERE!"

I froze inside. I was hoping they wouldn't notice me, and that just Torchic would be enough to get in. Well, time to see whether they could tell what I was from footprint alone. I walked up to the grate and stood on it. I vaguely wondered if it would be okay since I was wearing boots, but I wasn't about to take them off if it meant they wouldn't let us in.

"Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!" I laughed a bit. Maybe they wouldn't be able to tell I was human.

"Who's footprint!? Who's footprint!?"

"U-Um, it's….it um….."

"HEY! Respond Sentry!

"Um, it's maybe Infernape?"

_WHAT!?_ I thought to myself. _My footprint does not look like an Infernape's!_

"WHAT!? MAYBE!?" The second voice yelled angrily.

"Well, it might also be a Hitmoncham, or now that I look at it, maybe Electabuzz?"

"What, are you saying it's some sort of mutant!? Your job is to know all of the footprints sentry Diglett, and that's that!"

"But I don't know what I don't know!"

"HEY!" I yelled, losing my cool.

"Would you two stop fighting for 5 seconds!? I don't have time for this! I need to speak to whoever's in charge!" I finished. I didn't have time to jump through hoops to get these guys to trust me, just to get in the front door. Time was of the essence, and I did NOT appreciate being referred to as miscellaneous Pokémon.

"Well, WHY didn't you just SAY SO!?" The second Pokémon yelled up.

The gate leading into the tent was then opened, rising into the tent above. Torchic and I looked at each other before heading in.

Inside the tent, there was a hole with a ladder leading down. I heard voices coming from inside the hole. I looked at Torchic nervously.

"I'll go try to clear out all the Pokémon that don't need to know you're here. You hide behind the tent, then I'll come find you when they're gone." Torchic offered. I nodded and left the tent again, going around to hide behind it. It was a bit difficult being so close to the edge of a cliff, but I had been trained to have good balance.

After a few moments, I felt a rumbling coming from underground, and then a crowd of Pokémon poured out of the guild and ran down the stairs. Torchic came strolling out after them, and came around the corner of the tent.

"Torchic, what did you do?" I asked.

"I told them that there was a huge sale going on at Kecleon Market, and they all went running." She said. It might have been a lie, but at least it got all the unimportant Pokémon away. I walked in after her, and climbed down the ladder.

The hollowed out space underground was actually quite roomy, despite being made for Pokémon. The ladder looked like it went deeper, but we got off on the first floor. There were boards on either side of the room, with pieces of paper attached to them. It was a truly strange place.

"WOW!" Torchic said. "This is so cool! I can't believe I'm actually inside Wigglytuff's guild!" Torchic was a bit star-struck, but I had bigger things on my mind.

"Well, how strange!" I heard someone say behind us. "Where did everyone go?"

I turned around suddenly, and locked eyes with the speaker. It was a flying Pokémon, with blue and yellow feathers, and it had a black head shaped like a music note with a pink beak.

"SQ-SQUAK!" he said when he realized what I was. "A-a-a-a HU-" I grabbed him out of the air and clamped his beak shut with my hand. I didn't know how many Pokémon were here, but I knew Torchic and I probably couldn't face all of them on our own. The Pokémon, which I recognized as a Chatot, continued to struggle in my arms.

"Shhh now, it's okay." I spoke calmly to him. He froze, probably shocked that a human could communicate with a Pokémon. "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

Torchic looked worried, like she was afraid we'd made a big mistake, and we just might have.

"I need your help. Chatot isn't it? Will you help us?" I asked, looking down at Torchic. I felt Chatot nod against my hand. I took my hand off his beak, but I still held him in my arms, careful that he couldn't escape.

"W-Who are you!? How did you get here?" he asked.

"My name is June, and this is Torchic." I wasn't sure how to answer the last question. "The gatekeeper's let us in." I settled with.

"What!? The gatekeeper's let in a human!?"

"They didn't recognize June's footprint." Torchic said.

Chatot sighed. "No, I expect they wouldn't have. Human's are only supposed to exist in fairytales, not reality." Chatot looked back at me. "But how did you get here?"

"It's a long story Chatot. But I promise, that I will never hurt you or anyone else, despite what you may have heard about humans."

"How can I trust you? You're still holding me hostage!"

"Don't you need to be taken away to be held hostage?" Torchic asked. "And, don't you need to send a ransom too?"

"You're taking the term too literally!" Chatot said frustratingly.

"I only grabbed you because I was afraid you'd go get someone to attack us. But I don't want to fight anyone. I just want to talk." I said, releasing Chatot from my grasp.

Chatot looked towards the ladder, like he was considering flying down and alerting someone to our presence. But then he looked back at me, and I knew what he saw. Desperation, fear, hope, all written across my face. Somehow, I think that calmed Chatot, seeing how vulnerable I'd become. He hovered in front of us.

"You," he motioned to Torchic, "Why are you defending a human? Are you a hostage!?"

"No, June is my friend." Torchic said without hesitation.

"Blink twice if you need to be rescued." Chatot whispered, but I could still hear him.

"I'm not a hostage! I found June washed up on the beach, and now I'm helping her-" she stopped, realizing she was revealing too much. "Anyway, she's my friend, and she wouldn't even be here right now if I hadn't convinced her to come and ask for help!"

"And why would a human want help from Pokémon?" Chatot asked, still suspicious.

"Look," I said, "I know that you probably think of human's as monsters. But we've changed. And Torchic is right; I didn't want to come here. But I knew I didn't have much of a choice. I'm all alone, a human in a world inhabited only by Pokémon, and everyone thinks I'm going to try and hurt them but I'm not! I'm here do the opposite. Chatot, I'm not asking you to trust me, I'm just asking you to listen. I need to talk to whoever is in charge." I finished. Chatot looked hesitant about the idea, but he didn't deny me right away, and that was a good sign.

"Please Chatot! It's an emergency!" Torchic said. It seemed that her outburst is what finally convinced him.

"Alright, follow me." He said as he flew down the hole with the ladder. Torchic and I followed closely behind. The lower floor of the guild didn't have much on the walls. There were two hallways on either side of the room that led to other rooms, and a door that Chatot was leading us to.

"Hey June!" said Torchic, gaining my interest. "There's a window! You can still see outside even though we're underground."

And she was right. Outside the window was an ocean view. "Makes sense," I thought out loud. "The guild **is** built into the side of a cliff."

"Here it is." Chatot said to us. He knocked on the door. "Guildmaster, I'm coming in."

The doors then opened, and we followed Chatot inside. The room was simple enough. It had a grass covering for a floor, and tapestries that acted as curtains. At the back of the room was a pink creature sitting on a red carpet.

"Guildmaster, you have visitors." Chatot said. The guildmaster's ears twitched, but he did not turn around.

"Um, Guildmaster…?" Chatot said uncertainly. Suddenly, the Guildmaster turned around so quickly that I braced myself for an attack.

"Hiya!" He said cheerily. He looked like the tent above the guild's entrance. This was Wigglytuff.

"I'm Wigglytuff!" he confirmed. "It's nice to meet you!"

I wasn't sure how to react to this. He was the first Pokémon I'd run into who wasn't scared of me upon first glimpse. He was either very brave or very naïve.

"Hello." I greeted him. Wigglytuff looked at me with his big green eyes, and I truly couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"My, you must have come a long way to get here." He said. "How wonderful, a new amazingly rare friend!"

I was so shocked I almost fell over. How could he be so calm!?

"Now, what can I do for you, my new human and non-human friends?"

I looked down at Torchic, and she looked just as confused as me. I walked up to Wigglytuff and kneeled down so I was at eye level.

"You were right, when you said I'd traveled a long way to get here. But I am here now, and I would very much appreciate it if you listened to what I had to say."

"But of course! I love stories, explain away!" he said happily. Chatot also looked interested in what I had to say. Torchic walked up beside me, comforting me instantly.

"I wouldn't be here, unless I had to be. I'm afraid, that just my presence here is putting you all at great risk, but it's not an exaggeration to say that I've gotten desperate. This is an emergency, so please listen to my story no matter how impossible it may sound. Now let me tell you, the story of how the world came to an end…."

I gave Wigglytuff and Chatot the same explanation I gave Torchic. I told them about how the world was split in two, how the world became paralyzed, and the future world I came from. I also explained that I was from the future, and that I came here to save the world from ruin, and about the accident that led me to meet Torchic.

"I know you don't have any reason to believe me, and I know that my whole story sounds made up, but I swear to you that everything I've told you thus far is the truth. I came here because I need help. If I can just get some information, then I'll leave and I'll never bother you or your guild members again. Please," I pleaded, "you have to believe me."

Wigglytuff and Chatot were both silent for while, contemplating what I'd just told them.

"OKAY!" Wigglytuff said. "I believe you."

"WHAT!" Chatot burst out. "Guildmaster, h-how can you buy her story so easily!? We only met her today, and she's a human!"

Ouch. That hurt, but I couldn't really blame him. Some people, as well as Pokémon had a hard time letting go of what they'd believed to be the truth their whole lives.

"I can tell June's a good person. And there has been a mysterious outbreak of mystery dungeons lately. If there really is something fishy going on with the time gears, then her story would fit into what we already know to be true."

"B-But Guildmaster-"

"Chatot, you must learn to be more open minded." Wigglytuff laughed. "June wouldn't gain anything by tricking us. And how else do you explain her presence here?"

Chatot didn't have an answer for that. As far-fetched as it sounded, there wasn't a better explanation for what a human was doing in this world when no one had seen them in years.

"Please believe her." Torchic said. "It's all true. The world is ending, but we can stop it. If you just take a leap of faith and believe her, you'll be making the right choice."

I smiled at Torchic. She really did trust me, and I her. With her help, my mission really could work. But eventually, I'd have to tell her about Grovyle.

"It should be impossible, but….it isn't." Chatot said. "I'm the guild's intelligence monitor. I know everything about everything, and I have heard the legend of Celebi and her powers of time-travel."

"So does that mean…?" I couldn't even finish the sentence.

"Yes, I believe you."

A weight was lifted off of my shoulders with those words. "Thank you." I breathed out.

"So now that that's settled, how can we help?" Wigglytuff said.

"I need a map." I said. The first thing for us to do was to pin-point the locations of the closest time gears.

"Well then, why don't we give you one of these?" Wigglytuff said as he set down a box in front of us.

"Is that!?" Torchic said. I opened the box. Inside were a bag, a map, a badge, and some scarves.

"This is an explorer kit. We usually give it to new apprentices, but since we'll be working together to help you gather the time gears, I'm sure we can spare this one."

I grabbed the map while Torchic looked at the other items in the box. I opened the map and set it on the ground. Some of the terrain looked familiar, but slightly different. I was able to pin point places that still existed in the future, and guess at old places that had changed into something else in my time. The edges of the map though were unfinished.

"The map is incomplete." I stated.

"There are places where Pokémon have yet to travel too. Usually when we find new places, we add it to the map." Wigglytuff explained. I looked near the bottom, where I could trace the path I'd traveled before long ago. Mt. Horn and then down to the forest. But the map was unfinished beyond that.

"Do you have something to write with?" I asked.

Chatot flew to one of the chests around the room and received a stick of what looked like charcoal. He handed it to me, and I started to sketch in the places where I knew there were time gears.

I filled in the map as best I could from memory, and truthfully, I wasn't sure it was accurate to the terrain of the future, but it would have to be close enough.

The ones in the area that surrounded the town had been marked. I filled in Fogbound lake by the edge of the map. Then there was the Underground Lake, Crystal Lake, Treeshroud Forest, and Boulder Quarry. Boulder Quarry and Fogbound Lake were by far the farthest away. If I wanted to collect them quickly, then I should go after the ones that were close to where I was now.

But I couldn't help but think about Grovyle. I didn't know why, but I got the feeling that he'd landed far away from me. And that just made me want to go to the farthest ones first. The ones closet to us would be protected well and they weren't going anywhere anytime soon. I looked towards Fogbound Lake. I couldn't understand why, but I got the feeling that was where I should try first. And after a long time relying on my instincts, I wasn't about to doubt them now.

"Here" I pointed to the bottom portion of the map. "This is where we start. It may take longer to get to the farthest Time Gears, so I'd like to get them over with first."

"That location is where Fogbound Lake is rumored to be." Chatot said.

"Trust me, it isn't a rumor. It's there. And it holds a time gear." I said.

"This is truly astonishing, working with someone who is so knowledgeable about the future." Chatot said. I was flattered a little by his words.

"We were actually planning to go on an exploration to find Fogbound Lake." Wigglytuff said. "The guild could come with you. We'll act as support."

The familiar uncertainty rose in my throat at his offer. It had taken a lot of courage to come here and share my story with two more Pokémon. I was happy they believed me, and I was grateful for the information they'd given me, but having them help in my search, just didn't sound right. My search for the time gears had to be done in secret. The more knew, the more likely I'd get caught. No, I would go with Torchic alone to get the Time Gears, and to find Grovyle.

"I can't accept that. Wigglytuff, I'm grateful for everything you've done, but I need to search for the time gears alone. If a big party went to find them, we'd draw too much attention."

"I see. I understand." Wigglytuff said.

"I'm sorry. There is something your guild can do for me though. When the time gears are taken from their places, time around that area will stop temporarily. I need you and your guild members to spread the word not to panic. I can't let you tell this world of my mission or my presence, but if you can make sure the Pokémon in this world know that everything will be alright; I would appreciate that."

"You can count on us. Wigglytuff's guild and its members will do everything we can to support you in your mission."

It warmed my heart to hear him say that. To know that the creatures in this world believed in me made everything worthwhile. It filled me with hope.

"There's one other thing. Torchic has volunteered her assistance in helping me stop the planet's paralysis. When my mission is complete, would you consider accepting her as an apprentice of your guild?"

"HUH!?" Torchic said, completely not expecting that.

"It's your dream isn't it?" I asked her. "My mission won't last forever, and after everything you've done for me, you deserve to have your dream come true too."

"Oh June." She sighed, amazed at my words.

"We would be happy to." Wigglytuff said. "As soon as the world is safe again, Torchic can join this guild. Until then, you guys can be unofficial, honorary members of Wigglytuff's guild!"

"We love this world too." Chatot said. "We want to protect it. So everyone at this guild will no doubt give everything they've got to aide in your quest, June and Torchic."

We both smiled, and I embraced Torchic, overjoyed that they believed me, that I wasn't alone anymore, and that we had a lead. The map would lead us to the time gears, and would save the world. We were on our way.

"Thank you June." Torchic whispered to me.

"I think I'm the one who should be thanking you." I admitted. Without Torchic, I would still be lost. With her I knew I could do anything. I didn't want to think about how long the journey would be, or what would happen at the end. Right now, I only wanted to feel the joy of having people who trusted me and I them. All the friends I had had in the future had been mine because they had to be. We literally had no one else to turn to.

But Torchic….I had met her, I had helped her and she had helped me. That was the way we had become friends. That was the way people were supposed to become friends, not being forced together because of circumstances. I would always love Grovyle and Celebi, but Torchic was the first friend I'd had who was just mine. She chose to be my friend, and I hers. And it felt nice to be normal for once, to not be consumed with my mission and my destiny. For a moment, I had a friend, and I had allies that believed in me. And man did it feel good to be believed.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've gotten kind of behind in writing this story, but I hope to get back to it this week. Have a nice day!**


	9. Allies

**A/N: This chapter is very sweet. I really enjoyed writing it, and I hope you enjoy reading it. After this, the search for the time gears will begin!**

Chapter 9: Allies

"Torchic, I don't know about this." I said, waiting inside the Guildmaster's chambers.

"June, we have to tell them! The more Pokémon we have on our side, the better right?" Torchic tried to argue.

Something told me that she didn't really understand the dangers that followed our mission.

"Torchic, I told you already. Primal Dialga could send someone back in time after me to stop us from saving the world. The more people know about me and the mission, the easier it will be to track us down."

"Well yeah, but that will only happen if the ones who know talk about it. And the Guildmaster promised to make all the guild members keep it a secret remember?"

I was still worried. The group of people who knew about my existence was growing bigger all the time. And every time it did, my fears of being discovered grew more and more.

I just wasn't used to trusting people yet. In the world of the future, the only ones I could trust were Grovyle, Celebi, and the members of the agency that picked me for saving the world. We all wanted the same thing. We were the only good people and Pokémon left in the world.

But I had to accept that it was different here. More Pokémon could be trusted then not. I guess old habits die hard.

Torchic and I pressed our ears against the door to listen to Chatot and Wigglytuff talk to the guild members.

"So you see," we heard Chatot say, "The situation is rather dire. The world is in danger, and Wigglytuff has volunteered our guild to assist in any way we can to the ones who will save us from the oncoming disaster."

"HEY CHATOT!" I heard a loud voice say. I recognized it as one of the gate keepers.

"Yes Loudred?" Chatot said.

"Who ARE these Pokémon that CLAIM the world is in danger? It sounds kind of FAR-FETCHED to me."

"I hate to say it, but I agree with Loudred. We haven't any proof that the world is in danger. How do we know they're telling the truth?" A second voice questioned.

"Well, why don't we let them explain?" I heard Wigglytuff suggest. I swallowed loudly.

"You can come out now! Don't be shy, everyone in the guild is very nice!" we heard Wigglytuff shout from behind the door.

Well, there was no going back now. All I could now was have faith that these Pokémon were as accepting as Torchic and Wigglytuff. I stood up straight and took a deep breath. Without hesitation I pushed open the door.

I was concealed in shadow for the most part, until I stepped further into the room.

There were several Pokémon standing in two rows that looked up at me when I stepped out into the light. I recognized all of them.

There was a Sunflora, Corphish, Loudred, Diglett, Dugtrio, Croagunk, Chimecho, and a Bidoof standing in the room along with Chatot and Wigglytuff. They were all looking up at me rather astonished.

"Hello!" Torchic said, breaking the silence. "I'm Torchic and this is June. It's nice to meet you!"

The Pokémon just continued staring. They were probably in shock. Frankly I was just happy they weren't attacking me.

"Hello." I said clearly, gaining their attention.

"It can TALK!" Loudred yelled.

I glared.

"Yes, **she** can." I told him rather irritated.

"Way to be totally RUDE Loudred." Sunflora scolded.

"Oh like YOU'VE seen a human before!" He yelled back.

"Hey hey, please don't fight you guys." Corphish tried to settle them down.

"I don't blame you for being surprised." I said, all eyes turning to look at me again. "It's just that I'm a girl, not an it, okay?" I said calmly. Loudred looked away sheepishly.

"I realize that Wigglytuff has already told you about the danger this world is in. I know you may have trouble believing it, but it is the truth. And I am here to stop it."

"Why would you do that? No offence, but humans aren't supposed to care about Pokémon." Chimecho asked.

"I don't blame you for being skeptical. But that simply isn't true. I don't think it ever was. Humans made a mistake a long time ago, and took advantage of Pokémon, which is why there aren't any around anymore. But I can honestly say that the most important beings in my life are Pokémon, and I want to protect them and this world more than anything." I concluded.

"What do you mean by 'this world'? Diglett asked.

"I'm from the future."

They all gasped. I was getting pretty good at explaining myself.

"But how is that possible?" Croagunk asked.

"There is a Pokémon called Celebi who can travel through time. She helped me get here. That's how I know the world is in danger. Because in the future, the world has already ended."

"Oh my GOSH! How awful!" Sunflora exclaimed.

"Um….e-excuse me?" I looked down, noticing that the voice came from Bidoof. I crouched down to his level.

"Yes?" I asked, smiling kindly at him.

"Um, can you really save the world? I mean, if you're from the future, then that must mean history is already set isn't it?" he asked.

I reached out my hand and put it on his head. He flinched for a moment, but seemed to calm down once I started petting him.

"Time can be re-written. If it's for the right reasons." I told him. He looked assured when I said that.

"Hey hey hey, but how are you going to do it? And what exactly are you trying to stop?"

"It's called the planet's paralysis. Time has stopped in the future. If I can gather the time gears, I can keep time moving. And then the world will be safe."

"Why do you need the time gears?" Chimecho asked.

"I need to take them to Temporal Tower. It's a structure that regulates time itself. Taking the time gears there will stop it from collapsing, and change the future for the better."

"This seems complicated." Loudred said, rubbing his head.

"But it is true." Wigglytuff interjected. "And we will all help in your mission in whatever way we can."

"Thank you." I told Wigglytuff, filling my heart with joy. "I want to get going as soon as possible. But I'll need supplies." I said.

"Ooh! I can go get some for you at Kecleon Market!" Bidoof offered.

"I'll go too!" Torchic said. I agreed with this, since she was traveling with me and would be a good judge of what to bring.

For the next little while I just talked to the guild members. They were all very kind, and seemed to get over their fear of me quite quickly when they realized that I meant no harm. I explained to them more about the world of the future, and hopefully how I would be able to change it when I saved Temporal Tower.

Eventually I got restless being underground, and excused myself to go up for some air. I was climbing the ladder when I saw two familiar figures checking out the boards. They were the only two there on the first floor of the guild.

I recognized them right away. They were the thieves that had picked on Torchic. I got off the ladder and walked up behind them. They noticed my shadow and turned around.

"AAAAAHH!" They both screamed when they saw me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked in a menacing voice.

I could not forgive these punks for what they'd done to my friend.

"Nothing bad, we swear! We just wanted to check out the job listings to see who offered the most cash!" Koffing explained.

I looked at the board behind them. Notices were posted on the board. There was a job listed on each piece of paper, as well as a reward.

"You only help people for the reward!?" I asked, disgusted with their excuse. "You two are pathetic. Get out of here already." I said.

"Well, what are you doing here then?" Zubat asked.

"I am an honorary member of this guild, and currently we're planning for a mission that I'm going on very soon. The members of this guild are kind and good Pokémon. You on the other hand are not." I stated. "I think you need to leave now."

"Or, you could leave." I heard someone say behind me. Where there had been no one a moment ago, now there was a big purple creature with a long tail.

"Who are you?" I asked, not intimidated in the slightest.

"I'm Skuntank, leader of Team Skull. Those two you're talking to are my teammates."

Zubat and Koffing flew over to stand by his side.

"Then you are just as responsible for their crimes. You and your team are not welcome here."

"Don't think you can intimidate me like you could these morons. I ain't afraid of no human." He claimed. "They told me about you and your buddy roughing them up."

"They stole something from my friend. I was just trying to get it back."

"It's called survival of the fittest. You shouldn't have gotten involved." He said.

I did not like this Skuntank. I could tell what his kind was. He was arrogant, a bully, and a crook. I didn't take kindly to any of those three kinds of people.

"I think it's about time you moved on from here human. This is our turf." He threatened.

"I don't think so." I said.

"Well, then you leave us no choice. If you won't go willingly, then you'll have to settle with being run out of town." He said, before him and his goons went up the ladder and out of sight.

My blood ran cold then. I could guess at what they were going to do.

I went up after they had gone and sat on the inside of the tent. I didn't sit outside in case a random Pokémon came to the guild and saw me. Even though I wasn't outside, I could breathe a lot easier.

Once Torchic and Bidoof got back, Torchic and I would have to leave. If my suspicions were correct, then those criminals would be spreading the word that I was here. I needed to leave as soon as possible.

It was then that I heard a noise. It sounded like a large group of Pokémon, and it was getting louder. Suddenly Bidoof and Torchic ran into the tent.

"Guys? What's going on?" I asked, my instincts immediately going on-guard.

"Those meanie's who stole my relic fragment came into town with this big Pokémon and started to yell that Wigglytuff's Guild was protecting a dangerous criminal! June, they know you're here!" Torchic yelled.

_Oh no_, I thought. How could I have been so careless? I should have run when I had the chance. If I had run and then left Torchic a note or something we could have met up later. But now I was trapped.

We all climbed down the ladder and Loudred lowered the gate. Even from the second underground floor you could hear the angry crowd outside the guild.

"W-W-W-WHAT is going on!?" Chatot yelled.

"When I first came here, a group of thieves tried to rob Torchic, but I helped her defeat them. They saw me in the guild, and told everyone a dangerous creature was being protected by your guild to get back at me." I explained.

I would have to leave. If there was any possible way I could escape, I needed to find it. Now that so many Pokémon knew I was here, whoever they sent to stop me would easily be able to find me. I needed to leave, now.

"Now, now, I'll go talk to them." Wigglytuff said, climbing up the ladder towards the surface.

"I'll go too. We'll try to convince them it was all a joke or something." Chatot assured me. He flew up after Wigglytuff.

Torchic and I climbed the ladder to the first floor and listened to the crowd.

They were mad, but mostly worried. They were afraid that whatever Wigglytuff was protecting would hurt them.

This made me sad. I didn't blame them for being afraid of me, but I wish things could be different. I was ashamed of what my species had done all those years ago. What they did still struck fear into the hearts of Pokémon even now.

I wanted to fix it. I wanted to make it right.

But I hadn't come here to clear the names of humans who had died off long ago. I came here to save the world of the past and future. If I was captured now, it was all over.

_But,_ I thought, _Grovyle was still out there._ If I fell, he would rise to complete the task on his own. But could I really risk Torchic's safety?

I wanted the creatures of this world to understand me. I wanted them to know I meant no harm. I wanted to change the way they thought about humans. I was successful so far with Torchic and the guild, but would the whole town be any easier to convince?

I was worried. The more Pokémon knew, the easier it would be to find me. But, rumors of a dangerous creature were already swirling around. If an agent from the future was sent, it would be pretty obvious that I was here. I couldn't possibly make it any worse by exposing myself. If there was even a small chance that I could get them them to trust me, then I think this was a sacrifice I had to make.

I started to climb the rest of the ladder.

"June, what are you doing!?" Torchic yelled from the first floor.

"Sorry Torchic, but this is my fault. These Pokémon are afraid because of me. If I had been more careful, those crooks wouldn't have seen me, and then they wouldn't have to be so scared. I need to fix this."

"But what about the enemy agents from the future?! If you reveal yourself now, it'll be easy to find you!" Torchic asked panicked.

"I know, but that's a sacrifice I have to make. In this world, I'm the intruder, and I need to answer for that." I said before climbing up the rest of the ladder.

The gate was open, and Wigglytuff and Chatot were trying to calm down the mob, but to no avail. I knew once I did this, my presence in this world would become well known, but I had to answer for my mistakes. I had chosen to stay here with Torchic longer than I should have. This was my fault. I walked out of the tent to stand behind Wigglytuff and Chatot.

The raging Pokémon immediately quieted. My ability to render one speechless really came in handy in that moment. Wigglytuff looked up at me with blank eyes, while Chatot looked like he was going to have a heart attack.

"I'm sorry." I spoke to the crowd. "This is my fault. I didn't mean to make you all suffer and panic like this. I didn't realize what my presence in this world would do to all of you."

The crowd was quiet. None of them interrupted me as I spoke.

"I never meant to scare you like this, and I promise, I'm not going to hurt any of you. I know you don't have a reason to believe me, but I hope you will anyway.

"I really tried to keep my presence here a secret, because I was afraid of this happening. I didn't want to put you in any danger. I'm sorry I failed you.

So, to protect you further, I'll leave now. Now that you know of my existence, I can't stay here. I'm truly sorry for causing you any pain." I finished.

It was only fair. This was their world, not mine. I didn't belong here, nor would I ever. Leaving now was the only way to protect them from any more danger.

"Wait!" I heard someone yell.

It was a small voice, and it came from somewhere in the crowd of Pokémon. The creatures moved aside to let whoever spoke through. Only when he reached the front did I recognize him.

It was Azurill. His little blue body pushed through the crowd of Pokémon to make it up to the front. I kneeled down to his level I noticed that some of the creatures backed up when I did this, still understandably afraid.

"Please don't go away." He said.

I was taken aback, but at the same time touched by his words.

"She's not bad!" Azurill yelled to the crowd. "She saved me! She's a good human!"

"You're just a kid! Why should we believe you!?" Someone from the crowd shouted.

"It isn't just him." Wigglytuff interjected. "The entire guild feels the same way."

"I know it's hard to believe. All our lives we were told stories about humans that painted them as cruel and selfish beings. But isn't it also true that none of us have ever actually known a human to prove this theory!?" Chatot asked. The crowd started to whisper uncertainly.

"After meeting this girl, I now know firsthand that she is not a bad person. Wigglytuff's Guild has never let any of you down before, so please trust us now!" Chatot concluded.

The crowd started to shift and break apart. They were swaying in their anger.

I was shocked to say the least. _Could this really be happening? Could the creatures of this world really change their views because of me? Did I cause this?_

"You don't look awful scary to me." Said a woman in the crowd.

She was bigger than most of the other Pokémon. I recognized her as a Kangaskhan. She had a warm smile on her face.

"Yes, I see, now that I get a closer look at you, you really don't resemble the humans we've heard about at all." Said Kecleon.

"Indeed not, she's much smaller and not scary in the slightest." His brother said.

"Those who travel from far away are not always invaders." Said a Pokémon that I think was a Xatu.

I felt someone nudge my hand. It was Marill.

"Azurill told me what you did. I never got the chance to thank you for saving my brother. So, thank you" He said sincerely.

So much trust. So much belief. It was overwhelming, how truly good these Pokémon were on the inside. They let go of their fear, and they accepted me, even after thinking I was a monster. They were on my side. They were allies.

"Thank you." I whispered. "Thank you all!" I announced to the crowd. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

The crowd was mostly smiling with me, although some were still anxious. But it was okay, I had taken the chance to change their minds, and it had paid off.

"But," I started, "I still need to leave. My presence here is putting you at great risk. Now that the knowledge of a human in your world is known by so many, it is not safe for any of us."

They all looked at each other. They didn't look too happy about my decision.

"What human?" I looked up and saw that it was Kecleon who had said that.

"I don't remember seeing a human around here. Do you brother?"

"Nope, can't say that I have. NO humans around here." His brother responded. Soon everyone was joining in.

"Humans don't exist. That's preposterous!" Duskull chimed in.

"They're just stories in fairytales." Chansey interjected.

"Never seen a human before in my life!" Electevire said.

I didn't know what to say. I felt the tears coming before they fell. I was so touched by what this meant. Azurill walked up to me.

"We won't tell anybody, promise. Please don't go away." He said.

I couldn't hold it back any longer. I hugged Azurill tightly to my shoulder. I just couldn't take all this acceptance. All this kindness.

I could stay. They would keep my secret. They were willing to protect me. They believed in me.

I wasn't alone.

I vowed then and there that I would fight for them. I didn't care if it cost me my life, I would protect this world for them. I would save this world for them.

Because I didn't want all these wonderful creatures to disappear. I wanted to spare them from the darkness of the future world I came from.

That darkness would change these Pokémon. It would harden them like it hardened Grovyle. Like it hardened me.

I would not let that happen.

I would pay the price, no matter how high, but no matter what…

I would not let them down.

**A/N: AAAAWWW major feels! I just loved this game so much, I actually restarted my version of Explorers of Time I was having so much fun writing this! Stay tuned!**


	10. Forgotten Places

**A/N: Hey guys, the next chapter is up! Although I do come to you with some bad news, if you're a dedicated reader. I leave for my trip, which I mentioned a few chapters ago, next week, which means this coming week will be filled with saying goodbye to all my friends one more time, making lists and organizing everything I need to pack, and overall just making sure that I am completely prepared for my journey across the sea. I am literally going to be on a plane for a full day! But this also means that I am going to be too busy to update next week, sorry! But before you get too disappointed, to make up for the week delay, I plan to post 2, that's right, 2 CHAPTERS the week after next! Hope you guys can wait till then.**

**Okay, onto the journey to search for the time gears!**

Chapter 10: Forgotten Places

My memories of the future used to be so clear. Every time I closed my eyes, the image of the sky in the world of the planet's paralysis would continue to haunt me. Every time I walked along the sand, I remembered the silence of the world I had come from.

But the more time I spent here, the duller those memories became.

This world was awakening something in me that had been asleep for a long time. My whole life I had only been surviving, but in this world, I was learning how to live.

The citizens of Treasure town welcomed me. They made me feel like one of them. Even though I was a different species, they treated me like they treated Torchic. Like just another Pokémon.

The more time I spent here, the more I found myself forgetting. My memories of the future, my present, were slowly starting to slip away. It was like I had dreamed up that whole world and now I was finally awake. I wanted so badly to believe that. More than anything, I wanted to believe that the planet's paralysis was just a nightmare that my subconscious mind had created, and that it hadn't been real. But I knew that wasn't true.

Every time I saw fear in the citizen's eyes, I remembered. Not everyone in this village had accepted me as I was. They were still anxious around me. They were still afraid. And then I would remember that I wasn't one of them, no matter how much they treated me as such. I wasn't born into this world of life, love and trust. I didn't belong here, and I never would. But that didn't mean I belonged in the world of darkness either.

Ever since the day they found out, I hadn't seen any of the members of Team Skull. It seems that their plan to run me out of town backfired, and they ended up being run out of town themselves. The citizens of Treasure Town recognized them as the ones spreading the rumors about me, and kicked them out. Not only were they not allowed in town, but they were banned from the guild as well. It had become well known that they were untrustworthy. I was glad for that, because now they wouldn't be able to con or trick anyone else, at least not around here.

We had spent the next few days preparing, and now it was time for us to go. The members of the guild all stood at the entrance to see us off.

"I wish you would reconsider our offer." Wigglytuff said.

"I'm sorry, but I can't. No one can know about the mission. It would be too obvious if your whole guild went with us." I explained with a heavy heart.

"We understand. Please be careful though." Chatot said.

"We will, don't worry!" Torchic answered for me. Even though she knew the risks, I could tell she was still excited to go exploring. Her innocence in a time of seriousness made me smile.

The guild still offered to come with us, even after I explained the situation. They were concerned more Pokémon would try to hurt me like Team Skull had. But I knew this was the right decision. The guild was famous after all. If they all left on an inexplicable exploration, people would hear about it. My presence in town might have been revealed, but my mission to save the world would stay a secret from the masses for as long as I could keep it that way.

"We better get going." I told Torchic. I had strapped the bag we had gotten in the explorer kit on my shoulder. We were all ready to go.

"Wait!" I heard from behind us. We all turned around to see two blue Pokémon coming up the guilds steps. The smaller one flung himself into my arms.

"Don't go! We said you could stay remember? Why are you leaving?" Azurill questioned.

"Azurill…." I trailed off. _What was I supposed to say?_

"Azurill stop. If they have to go, we need to let them." His brother reasoned.

"NO! I want June to stay!" Azurill wailed as he tried to wriggle himself farther into my arms.

This broke my heart. Azurill had really grown attached to me in the time I had been here. In fact if it wasn't for him, I don't know if the town would have changed their minds the way they had. But I needed to go, I had already spent enough time around here. I couldn't forget about my mission no matter what, but how could I make him understand that?

I knelled down closer to the ground and made him look at me.

"I'm sorry Azurill, but I need to go. There's something very important that I need to go and find." I explained.

"You're….looking for something?" Azurill questioned,

"Yes. It's very important. But you know, I won't be gone forever. Maybe when I find it I can come back and see you." I suggested.

Inside my head I was questioning myself. If I kept coming back to this town, enemy agents would surely find me, but this was the only place where I felt safe. Everyone here was on my side. Despite the sense of foreboding that told me to leave this town and never come back, I couldn't help wanting to return none-the-less.

"Really?" Azurill asked.

I smiled my most sincere smile. "Really." I said.

I put Azurill down on the hill next to his brother.

"Say, if you're going on a journey, could you do us a favor?" Marill asked.

"A favor?" Torchic questioned.

"You see, we lost an item called a Water Float a while ago, and it's really important to us. So if you could just keep your eyes out for it on your journey, we'd really appreciate it!" Marill explained.

"A Water Float?" I asked.

"Yes, it's an item made specifically for Azurill. It looks like a gold ring with a blue gem on it." Marill explained.

"For all you guys have done for me, it's the least I could do." I assured them as I petted Azurill's head. I stood up then.

"Shall we go?" I asked down to Torchic.

"YEAH!" Torchic cheered as she walked in front of me.

I looked back at the brothers and the guild members. While the brothers smiled, the guild members looked worried.

"Thank you." I told them before turning back around.

I followed Torchic down the stairs and to the edge of town, where we immediately started on our journey.

"Hey June? How long do you think it will take us to get to this place?" Torchic asked as we walked.

"I think it will take about 3 or 4 days, depending on how fast we move." I responded. I went into our bag and pulled out a red scarf. I knelt down to Torchic.

"Here," I said.

I tied the scarf around her neck and tucked in the cord with her precious Relic Fragment into it. I tied the knot off to her right side, letting the triangular side hang in front of her life a neckerchief.

"What's this for?" she asked.

"I learned about it from Chatot. He said it's called an Attack scarf. It will help make you stronger." I explained.

"Oh, well in that case…" she said while rummaging her head through the bag hanging off my shoulder.

"You should wear this!" she said, pulling out a cerulean blue ribbon.

"The blue bow? What for?"

"Wigglytuff said it will give power to anyone who has a blue aura. For some reason, he thought it would help you." She said.

"But I'm not a Pokémon, stuff like scarves won't work on me." I pointed out.

"I think you should wear it anyway. Who knows, maybe it will bring good luck!" Torchic stated optimistically.

I took the bow from here and held it in my hand. It did kind of remind me of Treasure town, which was comforting at least. I wasn't one to believe in luck, but in this dire situation, I'd probably need all the luck I could get. I took off my hat and tied it into my hair on the left side of my head. I made sure to tie the ribbon back into a bow.

"How does it look?" I asked.

"Great! I think you might even be able to see it with your hat still on!" she said.

I put my hat back on, still feeling the cerulean ribbon in my hair. From there we pressed on.

I took out the wonder map and looked at the locations we'd need to pass through in order to get to our destination.

"Looks like we need to head to someplace called Drenched Bluff first. If we get through that, it should connect us to the coastline."

"Alright! Then let's get moving!" Torchic said as she charged on ahead of me.

Drenched Bluff was rather close to the guild, so it didn't take us long to get there. It resembled the Beach Cave that Torchic and I explored on my first day in this world. It was cave like, and the opening was covered in lush green moss. Torchic and I headed in.

The inside greatly resembled the damp stone walls of the cave on the beach, but it had its differences too. There was a lot more vegetation growing on the inside of this cave than the other one. And although this cave was damp, it wasn't dripping with saltwater the way the Beach Cave was.

On our journey, I spotted some Pokémon that I had thought to be extinct. They were called Anorith and Lileep.

In my world, those Pokémon had died out a long time ago. Although I had heard rumors of the world before the earth was split, and how man had developed a kind of technology that could give life to the DNA extracted from fossils. I had heard that once enough of the Pokémon had been resurrected, they had started to breed on their own, but it seems that without the resurrection process the humans invented, breeding alone wasn't enough to keep there species alive, and they became extinct again in my time.

It was sad really. The world had been split in two to protect Pokémon from my kind, yet some Pokémon were dependant on humans to survive. It was a shame that they had to suffer because of my people's mistakes.

We had gone pretty deep, and Torchic was getting pretty good at battling on her own. She had defeated many rock types all on her own, despite her type disadvantage. She was growing stronger all the time, and that scarf really seemed to be helping.

We were on the 5th level when we heard a shrill cry for help deep from within the cave.

"What was that?" Torchic asked.

"Don't know, but we may find out if we go deeper." I suggested.

We traveled around the 5th deepest floor of the bluff before we heard the scream again. Torchic and I ran towards it, and saw a grey Pokémon surrounded my some Lileep.

"Torchic, use ember!" I commanded.

Torchic spit out her tiny flames at the prehistoric Pokémon, burning them lightly.

"Now, scratch!"

Torchic's claws glowed white as she scratched the rock/grass type Pokémon. They went down quickly. Torchic walked over to the grey jumping Pokémon.

"Hey, are you okay?" Torchic asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you so much!" said the little pig-like creature.

"Why are you here alone?" I asked, having the little spring creature freeze up when he noticed me.

_Oh right, _I thought, _not in Treasure Town anymore, everyone is afraid of me again._

"Don't worry; she's not going to hurt you. She may be human, but June is really nice!" Torchic assured the little spring creature.

"R-Really? I've never seen a human before." He said, looking rather amazed at me.

"Don't worry; you're not the first one to react like that." I assured him.

"So who are you? And what are you doing here?" Torchic asked.

"I'm Spoink. And I'm here to retrieve my precious treasure!" Spoink exclaimed.

"Which would be what?" I asked.

"My pink pearl! It supposed to sit atop my head, but someone stole it! I heard rumors that it was at the bottom of this bluff, but I've never been able to get that far without fainting." He admitted.

"Well we're going that way. We're trying to get through to the coast, why don't you come along with us?" Torchic said.

Usually I'd say we didn't have time, but we were headed in the same direction. Helping out Spoink didn't seem like a big task.

"REALLY!? Thank you so much!" Spoink said as he bounced up and down with excitement.

"Come on then, we'd better get going." I stated as I walked ahead.

Spoink didn't cause too much trouble for us as we went deeper into the bluff. He seemed overjoyed to not be traveling all alone anymore. I wondered if this treasure of his was really worth risking his safety for just to get it back.

As we got deeper into the bluff, I pulled out the wonder map again and stared at our next destination. When looking at the map, I couldn't help but notice that the location of the coast looked very familiar. It's possible that I might have been to this Craggy Coast before in the future, but that the terrain had changed.

While I was thinking about that, we made it to the 7th floor of the bluff, which I understood was the last floor of the dungeon. I put the map away to look around. In the middle of the cracked, moss-covered floor was something round and pink.

"There it is!" Spoink proclaimed as he bounced towards the object.

He went up to the pearl and placed it on his head. He started to bounce up and down with his returned treasure.

"Thank you both so much!" he said, bouncing up and down a little happier than he had before.

"You're welcome!" Torchic responded.

Maybe it was just me, but I didn't feel like we did anything all that important. We hadn't even run into any enemy Pokémon, we had just led him to the place he wanted to go. It hadn't been that hard at all really.

I looked back at Spoink again. He was acting like he had been reunited with an old friend. He looked so incredibly happy, even after we only did something so small.

I realized then that what we did might not have seemed like much to me, but it had meant the whole world to Spoink.

In a way, I was the same. Most Pokémon in this world took what they had for granted. The rising sun, the spring breeze, the love of their family and friends. All that was completely normal to the creatures of this world, but to me, it was astonishing.

Like when Torchic had acted concerned for my well-being when I washed up on that beach. It might not have meant much to her, but it meant the whole world to me. That was the moment when I had connected with her. That was when I realized how important my mission truly was, not only to me, but to Pokémon like her as well.

"Be careful going home okay?" I warned Spoink.

"I will, thank you both. Goodbye!" Spoink said as he headed off the way we came.

Torchic and I looked around the dungeon floor. The cracks that decorated the bottom of Drenched bluff also extended into the walls. There were some larger fissures that let in quite a bit of sunlight. Torchic and I moved towards the back wall of the dungeon to investigate. The cracks were just large enough to fit through. I was able to squeeze through first, having Torchic follow.

Outside the bluff, was a walkway made of stone. The dungeon ceiling had now disappeared, leaving nothing but sky left above our heads. Now that we were outside of the cave-like dungeon, we continued along the path of stone.

I took out the map again. Craggy Coast didn't look like it was that far away. If we kept moving forward, we should hit the coastline in a short amount of time.

"Hey June? You okay?" Torchic asked.

I realized then that I had gone off in my own little world again. Whenever I was in deep thought, I usually got really quiet and didn't pay attention to whoever was with me.

"Yeah, just thinking. The coast isn't that far away, so we should hurry." I responded.

We walked along the path for half an hour before I started to notice things. This place, I got the feeling I knew it somehow. It had looked familiar on the map, but I couldn't place it until now. I had definitely been here before.

"June look! The ocean is right up this way!" Torchic shouted as she ran ahead of me.

I followed her to the edge of the path. Looking down, I realized the stone walkway had shifted to that of a cliff, surrounded by nothing but water.

I got an uneasy feeling being so close to the ocean. The night of the storm still haunted me.

But the terrain, it was so familiar. I combed through my memories, trying to place this location in my mind.

My mind traveled to long ago.

* * *

_"Are you sure this is the right way?" I asked Grovyle as he led me along the broken path._

_"Positive. It's just a little further!" he assured me, jumping from stone to stone with quiet grace._

_I had never liked heights much. Especially when there was nothing but pieces of stone cliff suspended in mid air separating me from falling to my doom. When time collapsed, they had said it was like the last great earthquake that shook the whole world before time stopped forever._

_Some places had been hit worse than others. And this was definitely a worse place. Apparently this had once been a cliff, but it had been hit so badly from the cosmic quakes that nothing remained of it but floating sections of rock. I looked down and saw nothing but black. The oceans of this world reflected only the colour of the endlessly empty sky. _

_"Hurry! You're so slow June!" Grovyle commented from far ahead._

_"Hey, I'm just being careful! If the fall doesn't kill me, then I'll drown in that ocean of ink!" I yelled._

_"Relax, if you fall, I'll dive in after you! But you know, I really should teach you how to swim later!" He called to me._

_"If I don't get frostbite first from that water! Besides, when am I ever going to have to swim?" I asked as I jumped to the next floating stone._

_"You should always be prepared." Grovyle said as I made the last jump onto his floating section of stone._

_"I know. How did you even find this place anyway? And why did we take this route to Dark Hill when the Dark Wasteland would have been faster?" I asked._

_"Dark Wasteland is too close to the Stockades. Primal Dialga's followers are already tracking us. We need to throw them off as often as we can, and no one has known about this place for a long time." Grovyle explained._

_"This is another ninja thing isn't it?" I asked. _

_Grovyle just smiled._

_"This way." He said. "And try to keep up."_

_"Not if it costs me my life. Besides, no matter how slow I go, you'll always wait for me, even if you complain about it."_

_"Of course I wait, you're my partner." He said._

_"And your best friend. I don't know what you'd do without me." I jumped again and landed on another rock._

_"Hopefully we'll never have to find out." He said darkly as we continued on. _

* * *

I touched the cliff of stone with my hand. That memory had seemed like it happened a long time ago. That was when Grovyle and I had first started looking for the locations of the time gears. Looking at this place now, it just looked so different.

"June, your spacing out again." Torchic said, causing me to face her.

"Sorry, it's just; I think I've been here before."

"You have?" Torchic asked.

"Yeah, a really long time ago. But it was really different in the future." I explained.

"What was it like?" Torchic asked again.

I didn't want to answer that. If all went as planned, Torchic would never have to learn of that awful world. I didn't want to scare her for no reason.

"Let's just say, it goes by a different name in the future." I told her.

"Well if it isn't called Craggy Coast, them what is it called?" She questioned.

"…..Forgotten Coast." I whispered.

Torchic gulped when she heard me.

"But let's not think about that. We have to concentrate on getting through." I assured her, changing my attitude.

We walked up to the opening in the side of the cliff.

"Look June, there's two paths." Torchic pointed out.

I looked closely, and surely enough there was a fork in the cave opening. One was much bigger than the other.

"Which way should we go?" Torchic asked.

"I think we should stick to the main path. The side path could be a trick." I reasoned.

"Okay! Then let's get moving!" Torchic said before charging a head again.

I just shook my head and smiled at her enthusiasm as I followed her into the cliff's cave.

**A/N: Grovyle may be far away for the moment, but I can still enjoy writing for him in flashbacks! Again, sorry for the two week delay, but you guys will get to read two chapters when I'm all settled into my new place. Also, if you look at the map of the area in the game, Drenched Bluff is right next to Craggy Coast, and they never tell you how you go to Craggy Coast from the guild, so I just assumed you went through the Drenched Bluff because they were so close. Can't do that in the game, but I think it's a good assumption for the story. Until next time lovely readers!**


	11. Finding Strength

**A/N: Oh. My. God.**

**It has been so long since I updated, or at least it feels like it. Hello lovely readers! It's so nice to be back! In case you were worried, I made it to Australia safe and sound! But seriously, its a long ways away from Canada. I had to take three planes to get down here, one of which was 14 hours long. Not fun. First off, I apologize for being a few days late, but honestly I am suffering from some major jet-lag. I'm like 15 hours ahead of what I'm used to, and the times are all weird. Like, right now it's 8:03 p.m at night, but back in Canada it's like 6:00 a.m.**

**It's going to take me a while to get used to this. So again, sorry for the lateness, but I just got around to writing again this past weekend when I remembered my promise to update 2 chapters. So here they are, as promised. And just a warning, this chapter's going to get a little dark, but it's all to add more back-story to the main character. Also, FLASHBACKS! I love writing flashbacks for this story, so I'm going to write more. Okay, that's it for now. Enjoy the fruits of your patience readers!**

Chapter 11: Finding Strength

By the time we made it through Craggy Coast, it was practically sunset. The dungeon had been more difficult than any other we had travelled through before, and since many water types lived there it made for a slower journey than normal due to Torchic's type disadvantage. But eventually, we made it through.

Torchic and I stepped out of the watery cave's exit, and found ourselves walking on a rocky terrain. I was finding that the more I travelled, the more I recognized the world around me. Of course the landscape of the future was terribly different from that of this world. In my world the landscape was broken; shattered by the collapse of time itself, but here it was complete, never having been broken at all.

While we had been traveling along the coastline, the cave walls of the dungeon had occasionally opened up to reveal the most beautiful view of the ocean. I still couldn't believe how blue it was. It had been so clear, and it sparkled like a million gemstones. It was a truly breathtaking sight.

But even as I admired it, I couldn't help but compare it to inky, black ocean I had been afraid to fall into when I had first traveled the Forgotten Coast with Grovyle. Every bit of beauty this world had to offer was bittersweet to me, for I had seen what would become of it. But then I would shake myself and remember what I came here for. My mission was to make sure that never happened. Those memories that haunted me with every step I took would be my burden alone to bare. If everything went as planned, Torchic and everyone else in Treasure Town would never have to know the horror of a world of darkness.

We made it to the base of Mt. Horn. I had traveled this route many times with Grovyle before, although in the future we called it Dark Hill. The space seemed so much bigger now; less closed off. But perhaps it was because more Pokémon lived and traveled this route in this time.

"Well, we've made it pretty far in one day!" Torchic interjected.

"I agree. We're making good progress. If we can keep up this pace we'll make it to the forest by tomorrow." I agreed.

"Still, it's pretty late. Do you think we should stop and make camp for tonight?" Torchic asked.

I grimaced at the thought and my mind traveled to my old grass-type partner again. If I had been traveling with Grovyle, we probably would have made it through the coast faster and then brushed past Mt. Horn just as easily. If I were with Grovyle, we would probably be camping outside of the forest right now. But I wasn't with Grovyle. My heart hurt at that thought.

Torchic wasn't anywhere near as strong as Grovyle was, and she wasn't used to traveling for longer distances on little sleep and nutrition. I couldn't ask Torchic to keep going, despite my urgency to get the time gears. She had volunteered to help me with my mission, and I needed to take into account the things she needed to operate. Like eight hours if sleep.

"Okay." I conceded. "We'll camp here, and then tackle Mt. Horn tomorrow."

"Yay! Then let's eat!" Torchic cheered.

I smiled at her. Traveling with Torchic was so different than traveling with Grovyle, but in a good way.

Grovyle was like my rock. He was there for me no matter what, and he always had a plan for every situation. He was supportive of me, and he helped me figure everything out, like when the dimensional scream first started to develop. Together, we had figured out that the dimensional scream ability only activated when a trusted Pokémon partner was with me, because before I met Grovyle I didn't even know I had it. Grovyle was the one constant in my life.

But being with Torchic was nice too. She was endearing, thoughtful and a very hard worker. She might still be a bit of a fraidy-cat, and she could get over-excited about some things, but she always tried so hard. Despite only knowing Torchic for less than a week, I trusted her. I could see that she held no malice in her heart, and that she genuinely believed in me. And that made me happy.

We had only brought the necessary supplies like food and important items with us on our journey, but in mystery dungeons, in both this time and mine, there were countless items that could be found just lying around. I laid all the items I had picked up on our journey out in front of me.

"I'm amazed that items like these are just lying around." I said as I looked at the items strewn out before me.

Along with multiple kinds of seeds that had different abilities when you ate them, I had also found several glass Wonder orbs, which I recognized from my world. They all possessed different abilities, although no one was really sure how they were created. In the dungeon I had picked up a Luminous Orb, a Foe-Hold Orb, and a Mug Orb.

"Sometimes Pokémon drop them when they're traveling, or if a Pokémon faints in the dungeon they fall out of their bags." Torchic explained.

"Nevertheless, they'll come in handy." I informed her as I started to pack them back into the bag. I pulled out two big apples when I was finished.

"Here you go." I said as I placed the big red apple down in front of Torchic.

"Thanks so much! Okay, time to eat!" Torchic announced excitedly as she started to peck away at her dinner.

I chose to eat my dinner much more slowly than Torchic did. I was used to going long periods of time without food, so every bite I took I savored. Food was much easier to come by in this world, I thought somewhat bitterly. In the future, food was hard to find in a world where everyone was basically a thief.

I shook the negative thoughts out of my head. Darker emotions such as bitterness were like diseases in my world, infecting every living thing until they lost all form of humanity within them. For the most part, I had been able to avoid becoming as hardened by the future world as Grovyle had been, but I still had moments where negative emotions slipped through.

I distracted myself by building a fire. I just had to gather wood, since Torchic could easily light the pile aflame. Once the fire was made and our meals finished, I pulled out the wonder map again and laid it down on the ground with Torchic and I inspecting it.

"Once we get over Mt. Horn, the forest will be the next obstacle. But I've traveled it so many times; it shouldn't take that long to get through." I explained.

"But didn't you say that the environment in the past could be different from that of the future? How do you know it will be the same?" Torchic asked.

"That's true, but Foggy Forest isn't about memorizing the layout, it's about navigating the thick fog. I spent so much time there in the future that I know the trick to getting through."

"Why did you spend so much time there?" Torchic asked.

I smiled, remembering some of the only peaceful times I'd had in the future. "Because that's where Celebi lived."

"Celebi? You mean the time travel Pokémon who helped you come back to this time?" Torchic questioned.

"Yup, that's her. Foggy Forest was called Dusk Forest in the future, and it was perpetually shrouded in a dark fog, which made it a good place to hide from enemy agents following us. Celebi is also considered to be the forest guardian Pokémon besides being able to time travel. The future might be horrible, but Celebi seemed to like it there so that's where we'd always meet her." I explained while getting lost in my memories.

"We?"

That one word jolted me from my reminiscing.

"W-what?" I asked Torchic.

"You said where 'we' met Celebi. Whose we?" Torchic asked, gazing up at me with curious eyes.

I looked away, realizing my miss-step. Between meeting Torchic, and all that had happened within the last week, I had completely forgotten to tell Torchic about Grovyle. My first partner who had accompanied me back from the future. The one I had been separated from; the one I couldn't save; the one who could be lost far, far away right now. The one I failed…

I closed my eyes, feeling tears pressing against the back of my lids, threatening to fall. I couldn't. Not yet, not now. It was too soon. I missed Grovyle so much, and I was still heavy with guilt about not being able to save him. I wanted to tell Torchic about him, I really did. But I wasn't ready.

"It's nothing Torchic." I told her, keeping my back to her. I was ashamed to admit that a tremor went through my voice.

"But June-"

"I said it's nothing!" I restated more forcefully, hoping she would drop the subject.

All I heard was silence. I should have been afraid I had hurt Torchic's feelings, but at that moment I was too raw to care. My failure to Grovyle ached like a bleeding wound. I let down my best friend, and it was now just dawning on me that I may never be able to make up for it. I was afraid. Afraid of failing; afraid of never finding my Grovyle; afraid that he might be….

"June." I heard a soft voice full of worry speak.

I felt my shoulders shake with quiet sobs. The mere thought of Grovyle not existing anymore, and my wall of strength crumbled like sand.

_He couldn't be,_ I thought. _It's not possible! Don't you dare think such worthless things_! I scolded myself. But the idea wouldn't go away.

"I'm sorry June." Torchic said. "I didn't mean to make you feel sad. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

I turned back to face Torchic. She looked guilty, and a bit disappointed. I felt hot, wet tears slip down my face as I stared at her. I wanted to tell her about Grovyle and about my life before. I wanted to confide in her.

But I couldn't make the words come.

I reached out and placed my hand on her head, smiling at her with blurry eyes. In the end, I was only able to choke out two words.

"Thank you."

* * *

A few hours later, the night was as black as obsidian. There were no stars dotting the sky, making it look a lot like the sky I had grown up under. But even as I lay on my back, gazing up into the nothingness above me, I felt the cool mountain breeze twisting through my hair, and I was filled with calm.

I heard a rustling sound beside me, but I couldn't see anything. The fire we had built had gone out long ago; burnt down to a few simply cinders. I heard the scratching of claws against solid stone, and knew who it was instantly.

"What is it Torchic?" I asked the darkness, not being able to see her face.

"Oh, um, well I….." she stuttered.

"Can't sleep?"

"Nuh-unh. How about you?"

"Well, I'm used to only getting a few hours of sleep at a time, so I'm not really that tired. But you should try to get as much as you can." I told her.

Silence followed. I felt a bit guilty about the way I talked to her before, so I was trying to make up for it now by being especially nice. Torchic didn't disserve that out-burst, but it had been a touchy subject.

"June," Torchic started. "We're friends right?"

This question confused me, as I thought the answer had already been established.

"Of course we are. Why would you ask me that?" I questioned concern apparent in my voice.

"Well it's just, that I feel like I barely know you. You've never told me anything about yourself other than your mission. And before, you just looked so sad…"

I grimaced and turned away from her voice.

"Just drop it Torchic, please? I don't wanna talk about it." I told her. If I couldn't even think about the things I'd been through without breaking down, then there's no way I could get through an explanation.

"But June! You said we were partners! And partners don't keep secrets from each other!" Torchic exclaimed frustratingly.

"I'm not trying to keep secrets Torchic, it's just…"

_Just what?_ I asked myself.

Torchic was right in a way. If we were going to work together, we needed to trust each other completely. And the fact of the matter was that Torchic really didn't know anything about my back-story. Truthfully, I didn't want her to know because I wanted to spare her from that knowledge. But I also think I just wasn't ready to confront some of the shadows from my past. But if I couldn't even confront mere memories, how the heck was I going to save the world?

"The world I came from," I choose my words carefully, "was awful Torchic. Even just telling you stories about the things I had to go through would give you nightmares. It's not that I don't trust you, I just don't want to re-open old wounds okay?"

"AGH! You're so frustrating!" Torchic yelled angrily causing me to turn over towards her voice. My eyes had adjusted somewhat to the dark so I could see her faintly.

"Ever since I met you you've been keeping all of your emotions bottled up! You act all high and mighty, like you have to face all the danger and pain by yourself! But you aren't alone June! I'm right here with you but you don't seem to notice that!"

I was taken aback by her tone, so much so that I physically flinched at her words. I had never seen her so cross before.

"I know what you think of me June. You think that I'm just a weak, scared little chicken that you need to protect from everything, while you shoulder all the pain yourself! But you're wrong June! I may not be very powerful, and I may still be a scardy-cat, but I've gotten better! And I've gotten better because of you!"

The moon suddenly emerged form behind the black clouds in the sky, showering the mountainous terrain in soft moonlight. Once the darkness was chased away, I was shocked at the fierce determination I saw burning in Torchic's eyes. She was angry, that was for sure, but she was also a bit sad. I could see it deep in her eyes.

"You taught me to be strong! And you trusted me enough to tell me the truth! So whatever pain your feeling I'm telling you I can take it! I don't want you to face this all on your own. Please let me face it with you June! Please let me prove to you that I can be your partner!"

She finished her speech and breathed heavily while I just sat there stunned. I had never suspected that Torchic felt this way. But I couldn't deny that everything she just said was absolutely true.

I was just starting to realize how broken I really was. I had lost so much and come so far, always staying strong because that's what was required of me. But ever since I lost Grovyle, I had been trying to be something I wasn't. I was trying to be like Grovyle.

But I wasn't Grovyle. I wasn't the serious one who never wore their heart on their sleeve and whose determination was as solid as tempered steel. Maybe I was trying to be, because it made me feel a little closer to him, but that just wasn't who I was.

I was June. I never denied my feelings, and I cherished every untainted emotion I felt that proved my humanity was still there. I was the barer of the dimensional scream, and I always saw the good in everyone. Ever since waking up on that beach, I let my fear take hold of me, and kept my emotions at bay. But I couldn't forget who I was. Torchic helped me realize that.

I looked at her for a long time. Maybe I wasn't ready to tell Torchic everything, like about Grovyle, but I wanted to tell her something. Even if it was something small, I wanted her to know me a little better so we could have what Grovyle and I had had. A real partnership.

"Alright," I conceded. "I understand."

Torchic let out a hug breath and slumped to the ground. Her tough act had obviously taken a lot out of her. She looked relieved to say the least.

"If you really want to know, I'll try to tell you as much as I am able." I said genuinely.

Torchic looked satisfied with that answer. She walked up to me and settled herself down next to me. She was back to being the friendly Torchic that I was familiar with.

"Tell me what your life was like. I want to know what it was like growing up in the future." Torchic requested.

I didn't think about it, I just started talking, afraid that if I gave it too much thought I would back out.

"Well, I was born into the planet's paralysis. I had never known another world besides that one, so I wasn't sad in the beginning. I didn't know there was anything to be sad about.

"I never knew my parents. They passed away when I was very young, so I was raised by someone else."

"Who were you raised by?"

I smiled as I remembered. "My grandmother."

I could see her in my mind. She had been such a kind women. Soft, grey hair with a few streaks of the darkest brown still remaining. Bright blue eyes that twinkled with joy when they looked at me. Translucent, white skin as fair as porcelain. That was the image I held of my guardian. The women who protected me, until her very last day.

"She was a very kind women. It was her who told me stories of the world before. She had lived when time was still flowing, and in that time she had fallen in love and had a family. She used to tell me stories about my mother, and how she had raised her too.

"She taught me things like kindness and love. And she taught me to never lose hope, even though everyone else in the future had. She taught me how to be strong too.

"One day, I can remember when I was very young; I was attacked by a group of wild Pokémon. They were just looking for food, but I hadn't understood that at the time, and I got hurt really badly. That was the day I almost gave up. I thought that in a world where you had to gang up on a single defenseless girl just for a little bit of fruit, that nothing would ever be good again. There was no future, and no hope for a world as broken as mine was.

"My grandmother found me then. She picked me up, and took me home. She wrapped all my wounds, and sat with me while I cried. I told her I was sorry for crying and being weak when she had taught me to be strong. But instead of being mad or disappointed, she told me this.

_Tears are not your weakness June. For a single one of your tears, contains the hope of millions. You alone, are the only one left who understands what has been lost. Everyone else still left, they have all forgotten. They lost their hope long ago. But you still hold it. Tears are not weakness my child. They speak of precious, unbounded emotions that have long been lost to those of this world. They speak of immeasurable sorrow, overpowering anger, breathtaking happiness, and unspeakable love. They are not weakness June. They will be your greatest strength._

"It took me a long time to understand what she meant by that. But eventually I discovered that my emotions weren't a bad thing. In the future, everyone locked all their emotions away to try and be strong. They were trying to survive by becoming cold and empty. But because of her, I hadn't become like that.

"When I grew older, I started to investigate why the world was the way it was. I had taken everything my grandmother taught me, and went to find answers on my own. And eventually, I met other Pokémon that were looking for the same thing. They called themselves the Planetary Investigation Team. They were really startled by a human who could talk to Pokémon, and who wanted to learn about why time had collapsed, but after a while they trusted me. And that was how I learned about Temporal Tower, and the time gears."

I left out the parts about Grovyle. Despite telling Torchic this much about my past, I still wasn't ready to mention him. Telling her about him would lead me to confront the accident, and I was still coming to terms with that even now.

"So, it was your grandmother who inspired you to fix the world?" Torchic asked.

"Yes. All her stories about the world when time was flowing were so beautiful. I could see that she missed that world terribly, and I too ached to see such beauty. When I told her of my opportunity to go back in time, she supported me fully. I think it really did make her proud."

"So, is she still waiting for you in the future? She'll be able to live happily once the future is changed into a happy world right?"

Pain stabbed my heart at Torchic's words. I had gotten to the hardest part of the story. The tragic ending that I hated to remember.

"No Torchic. She's…..she's not waiting for me. Not anymore…." I admitted, lowering my head so that my bangs covered my eyes.

"What do you mean? What happened to her?" Torchic asked.

Before I could stop it, the memories started to flow. Like a book dropped open onto the floor, I couldn't help but look at what was inside.

* * *

_"Grandmother!" I called frantically. "Grandmother, where are you!?"_

_Grovyle and I scoured the woods furiously. When we had started our quest for the time gears, I had moved Grandmother to a safer location in fear that Primal Dialga's agents would find her and hurt her. And now it seemed that my worst fears were becoming reality._

_The blackened trees of Deadwood Scar all looked the same as I searched endlessly, keeping my eyes open, looking for even the smallest sign of life. _

_When we had first hid her here, we had found an abandoned house deep in the forest where she seemed happy enough to live. But on our regular visit to check in on her, the house had been completely torn apart. I shivered as I recalled the blackened char marks and the snapped wooden beams hanging down from the roofs. This was like a nightmare. _

_I promised her. I promised that I could protect her. And now…._

_"We've searched everywhere June. If she was taken, it's unlikely that they're still here." Grovyle said softly as he laid his hand on my arm comfortingly._

_"I can't accept that. We can't be too late! You saw the char marks, they were fresh! They have to be close by!" I screamed hysterically. _

_I couldn't lose her. She was the only family I had._

_"We have no leads June. We're wandering around blind. Your grandmother should be safe for now. She would never reveal any information to Primal Dialga about us and-"_

_"IS THAT ALL YOU CARE ABOUT!?" My explosion interrupted him. "My grandmother could be being tortured right now, and you're concerned about getting caught!?"I yelled. I was so upset; I couldn't believe this was happening._

_"June, that's not it! You know I would never-" Grovyle started._

_But he was interrupted again by a scream._

_I didn't even wait for him. In that moment I shot off like a bullet. Tree branches scratched at my face and arms, but I didn't care. I just looked ahead, headed in the direction of the terrified scream, hoping I wasn't too late._

_I ran all the way to the edge of the Deadwood Scar, to wear the land fell away into a body of water I hadn't even known was out there. The forest ended at a cliff, overlooking a big grey lake. The edge of the Scar was still overrun with dark trees, but I was able to make out two living beings among them._

_One was my grandmother. She was wearing a long, once white skirt that had been torn and charred to a dull grey colour, and a turquoise blue sweater. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, with strands falling out all over the place, and she looked scared._

_The second being was a shadow. The trees encased him in darkness, but I knew who it was. Those large grey hands, his body decorated with those twisted yellow markings, and his eye. His solitary, evil red eye. I knew who it was even as he hid himself in the darkness. And he was situated right next to the cliff's edge, holding my grandmother's arm so she wouldn't fall off._

_"Let. Her. Go." I stated slowly. _

_If he even tried to pull anything, I would end him. Despite the fact that he was already a ghost, I would be fascinated to find out whether it was possible to kill him._

_"You know what that would take." His voice was deep and dark. If the absence of life had a sound, it would sound like his voice._

_Grovyle had come up beside me and readied the blades on both of his arms. They glowed a dangerous green as he got ready to fight._

_"Never." Grovyle growled at the shadow._

_"Then she dies." He said as he held her over the edge of the cliff. There was nothing but empty air beneath her feet as she dangled above the lakes surface._

_"Few know that this lake even exists. If she falls into the Lost Lake, no one will ever find her." The voice threatened as he held her in the air, a defeated look on her face._

_" But," he started."It doesn't have to be this way. Surrender to me, Barer of the Dimensional Scream, and she will live. Trade your life for hers, and you can die in her place knowing that she will never be threatened again." _

_I glared at him, wishing that my powers could be used to inflict physical pain. This kind of heartless blackmail is exactly what I would expect from Primal Dialga's number one henchman. I clenched my fists until I felt my palms bleed. I had no choice. This was the end for me. _

_"Swear it." I demanded in a cold voice. "Swear that she will be spared, and once she is safe I will go with you."_

_"No June! You can't!" Grovyle yelled, pain written across his face._

_I didn't look at Grovyle, I just spoke. I kept my eyes trained on the grandmother, shock and pain apparent in her eyes._

_"I'm sorry, but there's no other way. Make sure she gets out of here safely Grovyle. Look after her for me okay?" I told him, sad that my journey was coming to an end. And we were so close to finding the last time gear location. But I believed in Grovyle. He would finish what we started, of that I was sure._

_"You have my word." Grovyle promised._

_Slowly I walked towards her. My grandmother was the only thing I saw. Her feet were now settled on the edge of the cliff, and her arm was still being held by a large grey hand. She reached out her other hand towards me and I took it, feeling the soft worn skin against my palm._

_"You've been so brave June." She said softly._

_"I'm sorry Grandma. I failed you." I spoke ashamedly. _

_"No you haven't sweetheart. I put my faith in you for a reason, and I still believe that you'll do great things."_

_I looked at her with confused eyes. This was _**it,**_ wasn't it? Once Primal Dialga had me that was the end. They weren't going to let me live, not after everything I'd done._

_"What do you mean?"I asked._

_She squeezed my hand harder, her eyes shining with pride._

_"Good luck June. The sun will suit you well."_

_And with those words, she yanked her arm hard against the grey hands grip. It was so sudden; her movement startled us both as she freed herself. All I could do was watch helplessly frozen as her hand slipped from mine. The last image I saw of her was her smiling face, before her form fell off the cliffs edge._

_"NOOOOOOOOO!" The shriek ripped out of my throat as her form disappeared._

_Out of the corner of my eye I saw a grey hand lunge for me, but a flash of green knocked it back. I knelt at the edge of the cliff, staring over it into the abyss as a women's form got smaller and smaller. I was so far away, I couldn't even here the splash as the small dot hit the water, and I knew she was gone forever._

_The tears fell from my eyes like rain. Faintly, I could hear Grovyle and the henchman fighting, but it sounded so far away. All I could do at that moment was cry and repeat the same word over and over again._

_"No. No no no no no no…" I cried as I clawed my fingernails into the dirt cliff, barely feeling anything underneath me._

_Grovyle then pulled me up by my arms. He dragged my through the Deadwood Scar, fleeing pursuit from the Pokémon who had ultimately been the demise of the only women I ever loved. The only family I had was gone forever. Tears streamed down my face freely as I was dragged by Grovyle like a doll through the black forest. I felt numb, lost, and completely shattered._

_We eventually got away, and took refuge in a dark and sullen cave, but I didn't sleep that night. I cried for hours, just having Grovyle stroke my hair and tell me he was sorry. _

_I was inconsolable. My heart was beyond broken; it was just gone; ripped out of my chest leaving behind nothing by a void that could never again be filled. And eventually I would come to realize, that now I had nothing left to lose._

* * *

The memory ended and I retold the story to Torchic, leaving out the parts about Grovyle yet again. I didn't cry at the memory, I was too numb to it now. I had hated myself and my grandmother for a long time for what had happened that day, but eventually I had found peace. My grandmother had sacrificed herself for me; so that I could bring back the world she knew and loved so much. And if all went as planned, my grandmother could live again. In fact she was probably alive in the human world right now, younger and happier. The version of her I knew was gone, but the person she used to be could still have a chance at life. I wanted to honor her memory by giving her that much.

"I'm so sorry June." Torchic said pity evident in her tone.

"It's alright Torchic. I wanted you to know, we are partners now after all." I told her, trying to sound cheerful.

She smiled as she jumped up to sit in my lap.

"We are partners now. I know that was really hard for you June, but I'm glad you told me anyway. I feel a lot closer to you now."

I smiled down at her and hugged her to my chest. I had lost so many people in my struggle to save the world, but in the end, I had also found Torchic.

Someday I would definitely tell her about Grovyle, but for now I was just content with this. I was happy to not have to bare this burden alone anymore.

_But sadly,_ I thought, _there were still some secrets that would have to be left until the end._

* * *

"Torchic, use quick attack!"

And just like that she finished off another enemy.

We had been climbing Mt. Horn all day, and we were nearly at the end of our hike. The population of Pokémon living there were mainly bug-types, so it was a much easier trek.

Our talk the night before had improved our teamwork as well as Torchic's fire power. She had learned the new move Quick Attack, and seemed to be a whole lot cheerier today. I was even feeling much calmer about our situation instead of worrying about every little problem we came across. Talking to Torchic had been a good release of emotion, and now I was starting to feel like my old self again.

We climbed down the remainder of the cliff and onto the flatter ground at the mountain's base. We continued straight along until the grass grew thicker under our feet. As we walked further onto the plain, the trees grew thicker and the air grew thicker. We came to an open clearing surrounded by trees, which only lead to a tunnel of endless white fog.

" June, where are we?" Torchic asked worriedly.

I looked around as the feeling of remembrance filled me. It felt good to know where I was again. I turned to my fiery partner.

"This is Foggy Forest."

**A/N: I think I like writing this format a bit better. There really isn't a lot that happens when your physically going through the dungeons, so I choose to skip over the traveling bits for the most part and focus on the cut-scene material and the spaces I can fill with my own development. Also, all these places I mention are actual locations on the map in the game, even the places in the future. Just look up a map of mystery dungeons explorers of time or darkness map, past or future, and the places are all there.**


	12. The Heart

**A/N: And here's the second chapter I promised. Now I know you all have been being really patient, and I appreciate that, but I have to be honest. I'm not entirely sure when I'm going to be updating this story for the foreseeable future. I mean, I am on the other side of the world, and although I love writing, I also want to do stuff. So realistically, I think I'm going to try to update at least every other week, giving you guys 2 chapters a month.**

**Hope you guys understand! Now onto the longish chapter!**

Chapter 12: The Heart

"This is Foggy Forest?" Torchic asked. "Well, at least it was appropriately named."

I agreed with her statement. The reason for the forest's name was the perpetual mist that surrounded the entire area. While searching for the time gears, I had learned that it was meant to be a defence mechanism to protect the mysterious Fogbound Lake from discovery. Although in this time I understood that explorers only searched for it because it was rumored to hold a valuable treasure inside, the truth was that it only held a time gear. Although in my eyes, it was treasure all the same.

"June, are you sure you can navigate this forest? I know you said you've been here before, but look at that fog! It's so thick I can't even see anything past it." Torchic said.

"Don't worry Torchic, I still know the way. We need to go as deep as we can in order to reach the first trail."

"Trail?" Torchic asked.

"Yeah. This fog was made to protect Fogbound Lake, the place where the time gear is, but it can be lifted if you're able to solve a puzzle at the end of the forest."

I gasped in remembrance. The last time I was here was in the future with Grovyle. And when we were here, we figured out how to lift the fog, but only by-

"Oh no…" I groaned as I hit myself on the head with my hand.

"What is it?" Torchic asked.

"At the end of the forest is a statue. That statue is the key to lifting the fog, but only when a special stone is inserted into it." I explained. "But without that stone, we won't be able to do anything!"

"Oh no! Well, how do we find the stone? What does it look like?"

"Well, I only saw it once in one of my visions. I think it was red, and it was called a Drought stone. And it was rumored to be hidden somewhere in this forest, and that only the pure of heart would be able to find it."

"Well, that's just great." Torchic sighed. "Do you think we can find the lake without the stone?"

"Maybe, but it'll be a lot harder. It is possible though." I said.

"Well, how about we just concentrate on getting through the forest? If we don't find the stone, then we'll just keep going, but we can still keep our eyes open along the way." Torchic suggested.

"The only problem is that I'll be the one navigating. How about this? I'll concentrate on navigating through the fog, while you keep your eyes peeled for the drought stone."

"W-w-what!? You really trust me to find the stone!?" Torchic asked.

"Of course I do. You can do it, no problem! You are my partner aren't you?"

Torchic grinned in happiness. "Okay! You can count on me!" she cheered.

"I know. Now, let's get going. Make sure to stay close okay?" I warned.

And with that we stepped into the blanket of fog.

The fog was incredibly thick, so much so that it was even a challenge to see your hand in front of your face. But even blind I was confident in my ability to get us through. The fog, although somewhat lighter, was basically the same as it was in the future. And I had visited this place so often to visit Celebi that in the future I had developed a way to navigate without having to see.

It was true that the forest was still considered a mystery dungeon, meaning that the layout shifted every time you entered it. Mystery dungeons were like natural mazes that were made possible because of the fluctuating energy from the time gears. The paths and trees would shift and change because they were flowing with temporal energy, forcing them to grow and die at a more rapid rate than most other plants. The paths of the dungeons changed more frequently based on how close a time gear was to its location.

The trick with this particular mystery dungeon was in the fog. Normally, the thickness would make it harder to see, but it was actually an advantage in this situation. Where the path led to dead ends and endless circles, the fog became thicker, and where the path was straight it became thinner. All I really had to do was follow the thinner trails of fog, and it would lead me to where I wanted to go. Being in this forest filled me with nostalgia, and I found myself remembering the first time I had traveled this forests fog, long ago.

* * *

_"This is ridiculous." I said, tripping over yet another tree root sticking out of the ground. _

_But of course I was unable to see it because of this ridiculously thick fog, causing me to almost face plant into the dirt for the fourth time that day._

_"Patience is considered a virtue you know." My grass-type best friend sounded before me. If I could see his face he probably would have looked smug._

_"How do you expect me to be patient when I can't even see three feet in front of my face? This fog is driving me crazy! How are we supposed to find the location of the time gear in this? We might have already passed it!" I exclaimed._

_"Well, you could use the dimensional scream and find out if we're going the right way. After all, it was your vision that led us down this route in the first place." Grovyle pointed out._

_"Are you implying that this is my fault?" I asked._

_"I imply nothing. Although your ability would be a bit more useful if it gave us more specific directions." He said,_

_"AGH! Stupid awe-inspiring ability to reach across time and space! Maybe it's broken, after all this place doesn't look very special."_

_"How can you tell?" Grovyle asked._

_I laughed. Grovyle didn't crack jokes often, but when he did it was pleasant and comforting. I was definitely being a good influence on him._

_We wondered through the fog some more until we came to a clearing where the fog slightly thinned._

_"Stupid Dusk Forest! Stupid Fog! Somehow I thought finding the locations of the time gears would be easier than this, but now we can't even find the first one!" I whined._

_"Quit whining. It won't get us anywhere. You should concentrate on keeping watch for anyone following us." Grovyle suggested._

_"Like anyone could follow us in that fog. Are you sure we're not lost or something?" I asked nervously._

_"Right now I am unsure of anything." Grovyle said plainly._

_"WHAT! So we could be lost after all? Oh great!" I complained some more. _

_"You know, history says that this place made victims of many travelers before us. Apparently, somewhere in this forest is rumored to be the elusive Fogbound Lake." Grovyle explained. "Legend has it that hidden deep within Fogbound Lake is a rare and beautiful treasure, but since no one ever found the lake, no one knows if that was true."_

_"Yeah yeah, you've told me this story before. That's why were headed there isn't it? The rumored treasure could be a time gear." I said. "But if we can't find the lake, we can't find out if a time gear was there. And we're NEVER going to find the lake in all this fog!" _

_"Have I ever told you that you have a one-track mind?" he asked._

_I let out a big sigh and looked around at what I could see. Big grayish tree's surrounded us on all sides with a grungy dirt road underneath our feet. I sat down and balanced my head on my hands._

_"How are we supposed to save the world if we can't even navigate this fog?" I asked, my voice laced with doubt._

_It had been a little over a week since the Planetary Investigation Team had picked the two of us to go back in time to change the past. ME! A human, trying to save the world. I mean, I wasn't like Grovyle, I couldn't defend myself. All I had was the dimensional scream; that was the only reason they picked me. I'm sure Grovyle could have done it all by himself if they'd let him. I just felt like dead weight._

_"June," Grovyle said, placing his hand on my shoulder, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, let's just take it one step at a time."_

_"Right." I agreed, forcing a smile. My heart was still heavy with doubt, but it helped to know that Grovyle believed in me, even if I didn't._

_"Save the world?"_

_The voice was tiny and bell-like but it traveled across the entire clearing. We both jumped up and looked around frantically, ready for an attack._

_"Who's there!?" Grovyle yelled._

_"You're trying to…save the world?" the voice sounded again._

_No matter what way I looked, I couldn't the owner of the voice. It seemed to be coming out of thin air._

_"Show yourself!" I demanded. _

_"So you're the ones they picked. How convenient! I've been looking forward to meeting you for quite some time!"_

_"If it's a fight you want, then stop hiding!" Grovyle stated._

_I heard the voice giggle, loud and clear. It was a cute sound, filled with genuine pleasure._

_"My apologies, I do not wish to fight. I just happened to overhear your conversation and it sounded so very…..interesting." the bell-like voice said. It didn't sound dangerous, but looks and sounds could be deceiving._

_"What do you want?" I called out into the fog._

_"What do I want? Now that is a good question! The list just goes on and on. A soft place to sleep, some decent food, and a much better view than this dark and dreary forest. I mean it is nicer than most other places, and I know I'm supposed to be the forest guardian, but it's just so boring here with no one to talk to. Oh, but it does look like one of my prayers has been answered now hasn't it?"_

_Grovyle and I looked at each other, confusion apparent on both of our faces. Whoever this person was, they were odd that's for sure._

_"You see my dears, it's been so terribly long since a good and kind-hearted person came to visit little ol' me, but now it seems that not one, but two people of just that description have come waltzing through my forest! Oh how I've wished and waited for this day to come! Two new friends to talk to, oh how exciting? Won't you do me the honor of playing with me?"_

_"Playing?" I asked to the disembodied voice._

_"Yes my dear, playing! What game should we start with? Oh I would love to challenge you to a game of tag, but I fear that that may be giving myself a bit of an unfair advantage. After all, I can't be caught you see!"_

_"Okay stop!" Grovyle called out. "This conversation is making my head spin. Stop hiding already and show yourself if you claim to be so trustworthy!"_

_"Oh dear, silly me! Have I been talking out of the empty void of time again? My dearest apologies! Here I come!"_

_And suddenly, a dozen tiny star shapes started to zip through the fog, chasing it away. They were bright and hard to look at as they gathered in the center and combined into a bright ball of energy._

_"Grovyle, what is that?" I asked, a bit star-struck._

_"I don't know. But stay on guard none-the-less!"_

_But I couldn't. This ball was just so beautiful. It chased away the darkness that wrapped around me like a second skin and covered me with luminosity. Was this light? My grandmother had told me stories about a bright ball of light in the sky that had warmed the earth and given it life long ago. Was this what the sun looked like? It was so amazing…_

_Then suddenly the ball disappeared and a pink Pokémon floated in its place. This surprised both me and Grovyle, as neither of us had ever seen this kind of Pokémon before ever._

_She was small and pink, with a tear-drop shaped head and big green eyes. She also had little fairy wings fluttering from her back, and she looked at us with such foreign cheerfulness. _

_"I am very pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Celebi, how very nice to meet you both!"_

_"Wow…" I heard from beside me. _

_I looked down to see Grovyle staring at Celebi like she was the most perfect thing in the world. His eyes were big and a small blush had made its way across his cheeks. Not that I blamed him, she was very pretty, and her voice was so cute. It was nice to see Grovyle in this new light. But then something struck me about her introduction._

_"Wait, Celebi? THE Celebi? The legendary Pokémon who can travel through time!?" I asked._

_"Yup, that's me! I see my reputation precedes me, how marvelous!" she cheered._

_Grovyle recovered from his awestruck state rather quickly._

_"So you're Celebi? The one we were supposed to find." He said._

_"Yes sir! I was wondering when that silly old Planetary Investigation Team would get around to introducing me to the two I would be assisting in changing history. Well, it looks like fate has delivered you to me earlier than scheduled! It's so good to finally meet you both! May I ask, what are your names?"_

_"Oh, um, I'm June, and this is Grovyle. It's nice to meet you Celebi."_

_"P-Pleased to meet you." Grovyle stuttered._

_"My dearest June and my dearest Grovyle! What wonderful names indeed! I hope that our friendship is a strong one!"_

_We both looked at her rather confused. This Pokémon was odd, that was for sure, but she seemed nice enough. It was truly astonishing that a Pokémon who seemed so carefree could be involved in a mission so serious._

_"So, what brings you to my lovely abode?" she asked._

_"We're looking for Fogbound Lake. But it's hard finding anything in this fog." I said. Now that I knew she was on our side, I trusted her._

_"Oh Fogbound Lake? I'm afraid that old place dried up long ago, all that's left of it is a place now referred to as Black Swamp and it's almost impossible to navigate anymore."_

_"Oh..." I said my face dropping into disappointment. It was sad that such a legendary lake could have been reduced to something as bleak as a swamp, but what did you expect from a world of darkness?_

_"But, I could take you as close as I can if you like. It will give us some time to get to know each other! I hope we all can become fast friends if we're going to change the world!"_

_"I'd like that. What about you Grovyle?" I asked. _

_"Well, more allies are always a good thing. And even if nothing remains of the physical lake, we could still find clues by investigating." He said._

_"Wonderful, then away we go! Just follow me and I'll guide you through the mist! Oh, this is so exciting! I'm so glad to have met you both!" Celebi cheered._

_I smiled as I followed her._

_"Me too."_

* * *

"Hey June! I think I found something!"

Torchic's voice jolted me out of my memory. I could no longer see her anymore, for she had ventured into a deeper section of the fog.

"Torchic!? Where are you?!" I called out, hoping I hadn't lost her.

"Over here! Just follow the sound of my voice!"

I stumbled a bit through the soup-like fog in a northern direction, trying to follow the sound of my fiery partner's voice. I headed in that direction for about twenty steps before I almost toppled over her small form.

"Torchic there you are. What is it?" I asked anxiously.

"June look!" Torchic said as she gestured towards a strange form in front of her. It was hidden inside a rose bush, but I could just make out the faintest sparkle of red.

I reached inside, careful to avoid the thorns, and grasped my hand around the diamond shaped object. I noticed immediately that it was warm to the touch.

"Look at that! Do you think this could be the drought stone you mentioned?"

I held it in my hand and concentrated. The stone burned warmly in my palm, almost like it was alive. I closed my eyes and focused, willing the dimensional scream to activate. And after a few moments…

The dizziness came. The world raced by and spun around in all directions while I stood still. My head throbbed but I endeared it until the white flash severed my vision, and I was gone for a moment.

I saw the stone, hovering in front of a silhouetted being. The creature floated in mid air and looked to be above the whole forest. A blanket of white could be seen below, with only the tops of trees penetrating the milky white ocean.

"Only the heart of Groudon will let the sun shine through. May the drought stone be safe from those who seek the destruction of Fogbound Lake." A deep voice said, no doubt belonging to the floating silhouette. And with that he sent the red stone tumbling down into the sea of mist, to wear it lodged itself in a single rose-bush.

The light flashed again, and I was back in my body. I looked down at Torchic and smiled.

"Good job Torchic! I think this is the drought stone we were supposed to find!"

"Really!?" Torchic asked excitedly.

"Really! I knew you could do it Torchic!" I congratulated her as I picked her up and swung her around, holding both her and the stone as we celebrated our victory. Now we would be able to lift this dreadful fog and find the entrance to Fogbound Lake a lot faster.

We navigated the rest of the forest rather easily. Being a forest, it was filled with grass-type Pokémon; easy targets for a fire type. Torchic blazed through all of our enemies like they were pieces of paper. She had come so far in such a short amount of time, and I was truly proud of her.

Eventually the forest started to thin. The fog grew thicker as we reached the forest's end, and the quiet that had surrounded the peaceful forest was replaced by a crashing sound of…water?

A clearing opened up, and we walked out to what must have been the deepest part of the forest. We were both amazed at what we saw.

"It's incredible! The water's coming down in waterfalls all over the place!" Torchic squealed.

And it was true. As the tree's had faded away, huge cascading waterfalls were falling from the sky and pooling around the grassy plains, but that was really all. Besides that I couldn't really see anything besides the huge waterfalls falling down around us.

"But…where are we June? Is this the deepest part of the forest?" Torchic asked.

"I think so, but let's walk a little farther in just to make sure." I suggested.

And so we kept walking, past the roaring waterfalls and deeper into the mist. The spray coming from the waterfalls was making the mist even cooler and twice as thick, but eventually was able to spot something.

"Wow, what is that!?" Torchic asked as she saw what I saw.

In front of us was a huge stone statue, and a familiar one at that. It was slightly off balance, leaning into the soft earth on one side. It was a statue of a legendary Pokémon, and it wasn't the first time I had seen it.

"Is that a Pokémon?" Torchic inquired.

"Yeah it is. One only talked about in legends. The continent Pokémon, Groudon." I informed her.

"How strange. What would a statue of a legendary Pokémon be doing in a place like this?" Torchic asked as she approached the statue. She walked around the far end of the statue and disappeared behind the corner.

"Hey June! I think there's something inscribed here!"

I went around the same corner and found Torchic staring at a strange language inscribed on the side of the statue.

"It's in footprint ruins. I'll read it."

I waited for her analysis, although I was pretty sure what the words would say.

"Reignite the life that burned within Groudon…" she read. "Then the sky shall blaze with the sun's heat. The path to treasure shall be revealed."

"The treasure of Fogbound Lake. The time gear…" I breathed. We were so close, all we had to do was lift the fog, and then we would be on our way. We were almost there.

"Looks like there's only one thing left to do," I said as I put my hand against the stone marker, getting ready to turn around and place the drought stone in the proper place.

But then it happened.

The dizziness overtook me, and I knew it was coming.

I hadn't meant for this to happen, but now there was no stopping it. All I could do was ride it out and hope it was over quickly. After all I already knew this place was connected to my mission, so whatever the scream showed me would only be confirming what I already knew.

The flash of light took me and I was plunged into darkness.

I couldn't see the world around me, but I could hear. The voice that spoke was as out of a memory.

It was my own voice, speaking out of the void in a moment from this world's future and my past.

"That's it! It's here! It's here!" I heard myself scream.

Then the flash brought me back.

"That-That was-" I stuttered, trying to get my words straight. This had never happened before. I had a vision of myself in another time. A moment of my own life relived through my gift.

But then it came again.

_W-what? So soon after the first one?_

The light flashed again.

I was encased in darkness again, completely blind. This time I heard another voice. The voice was clear and familiar, filling my ears with its words as if the one it belonged to was speaking right beside me.

"I see! Place the Drought Stone in Groudon's heart. That lifts the fog! Very well done! Good job, partner!"

Then the light flashed again, taking me back to the statue.

I drew my hand back so fast the stone might as well have been on fire. I stumbled back a few steps, wanting to distance myself as far from that dimensional scream as I could, but I couldn't shake the pain that spread across my chest as if I'd been stabbed with a knife. That voice, it was so close, so real. It was like he had really been beside me. And now stumbling back into reality, his absence hurt like a physical wound.

"Grovyle…" I whispered, so quietly I barely heard myself.

"June, what is it?" Torchic asked, looking worried.

I shook my head, trying to shake my guilt away with my memories of the vision.

"I think….I think I just…." I tried to talk, but I was in too much shock. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before. Maybe I was just starting to understand the true extent of my abilities.

"I think," I proceeded slowly. "That I just had a vision, of a memory."

"What do you mean?" Torchic asked as she followed me to the front of the statue.

"I'm not even sure I know. All I could see was black, but I could hear my own voice. This is the first time something like this has happened."

"Well is it bad? Do you think it means something is wrong?" she asked.

"We don't have time to figure that out right now. We have to keep moving forward." I said.

I moved up to the statues chest, locating the small hollowed out spot where the stone should fit perfectly.

"There. The stone fits right there." I said as I reached forward with the drought stone in my hand, fitting it into the space and pushing in so it would stay. I climbed down from the statue and stood next to Torchic, waiting for something to happen.

Suddenly, the eye of the statue flashed red, coming to life. But before I had a chance to analyze it, the whole area started to shake.

"June what's happening!?" Torchic yelled as she tried to keep her balance. I wasn't really sure myself. This sudden earthquake had just come out of nowhere. Was this part of lifting the fog?

"It's dangerous June! We should get back!" Torchic yelled over the tremors.

"Right." I yelled back as we ran from the statue's edge.

We tried to get away, but it was too late. Before we could go any further, the sky opened up. And both Torchic and were blinded by a bright white light.

**A/N: Thank you for being patient, and I hope your not too dissapointed about the reduced updates. But I promise to take the time to write them well, so even though they'll be spaced further apart, they'll be especially good in quality! That's all for now. Good day lovely readers!**


End file.
